To the list of women breaking cricket’s so-called glass ceiling, add the names of umpires Diana Venter and Kim Cotton.
Venter, from Auckland, and Cotton (Canterbury) were this week named in New Zealand Cricket’s High Performance Umpire Reserve Panel for the 2016/2017 season.
There they join trail-blazing Wellington umpire Kathy Cross, who hit the headlines two years ago when she became the first woman to be appointed to an International Cricket Council umpiring panel.
Cross made more waves earlier this year when she became the first woman to umpire at the ICC World T20.
Reserve Panel umpires stand in tournaments such as the Provincial A championships, the National Boys Secondary School champs, the Under 17s, Under19s, and the women’s Under21s – as well as Hawke Cup and women’s domestic cricket.
For South African-born Venter, the appointment continues a globe-trotting career as an umpire which includes stints in Finland, Italy, France and Slovenia – and yes, they really do play cricket in those countries.
More recently, as a member of Auckland Cricket’s exchange programme with Cricket Victoria, she became the first woman to umpire a Melbourne men’s premier grade match.
“I’ve really enjoyed umpiring around the world and being so involved in the game of cricket,” she said.
“But this (appointment to the NZC Reserve Panel) is a massive honour and a dream come true.”
Venter, who moved to New Zealand in 2004, is a level 1 qualified coach and, as well as regularly officiating in Auckland men’s premier club cricket, has also been appointed to 4th umpire duties in several representative games.
And just to round off her CV, she was once a national powerlifting champion in her category.
Cotton began her umpiring in Timaru in 2010 following a playing career that started with men’s club cricket in Nelson and included a spell in England; one season representing Kent.
Since moving to Christchurch, where she practises as a solicitor, she’s been regularly umpiring premier men’s club cricket, and for the past three seasons has stood in the national women’s Under 21 tournament.
Like Venter, Cotton has participated in several trans-Tasman umpiring exchanges, a feature of which remains the visit to Melbourne earlier this year - when the pair were both officiating at premier men’s grade level.
“It’s been a great way to stay involved in the game,” said Cotton. “I’ve been involved in cricket (either playing or umpiring) for just about every summer since I was in primary school.
“Being included on the reserve panel is a real highlight and I’m very much looking forward to the challenge.”
The NZC High Performance Umpire Reserve Panel for the 2016/2017 season is: Raoul Allen (Auckland), Jayath Batuwangala (Auckland), Cory Black (Wellington), John Bromley (Canterbury), Kim Cotton (Canterbury), Kathy Cross (Wellington), John Dempsey (Northern Districts), Mike Elliott (Central Districts), Mike George (Central Districts), Richard Hooper (Central Districts), Damian Morrow (Northern Districts), Peter Pasco (Otago), Hiran Perera (Auckland), Shaun Ryan (Central Districts), Eugene Sanders (Canterbury), Garth Stirrat (Wellington), Glen Walklin (Central Districts), Diana Venter (Auckland).
