Steve Davis becomes first man to officiate 100 International matches as 3rd Umpire

Steve Davis

Steve Davis, the Australian umpire, has become the first man to act as the TV umpire for 100 international matches during the first Test match in the on-going series between England and Sri Lanka.

The 62-year-old from South Australia has stood as the on-field umpire for 52 Test matches and 122 One Day International matches. Davis started officiating cricket matches with his first match being an ODI involving Pakistan and West Indies in 1992. He has also stood in 26 T20 Internationals. He was inducted into the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires in 2008.

These days, umpiring is definitely not an easy job in international cricket. One bad decision is enough to make people forget about your all good decisions throughout the match. Just like on-field umpiring, TV umpiring/3rd umpiring requires more concentration. And with more and more decisions being referred to the third umpire apart from the increased usage of Umpire Decision Referal System (UDRS), the 3rd umpire’s job is becoming a more responsible one. An umpire has to be at his best to quickly make the right call, thereby enabling the game to move forward as soon as possible.

The list denotes that no other umpire has officiated as a 3rd umpire in more than 75 international matches. 29 Tests, 53 ODIs and 21 T20Is add up to Davis’ 100 matches on the box.