Mike Sparks got more than he bargained for when he registered earlier this season with the new organisation, the Association of Cricket Officials.

The 56-year-old umpire from Currock in Carlisle was just switching over like others in the sport from the Association of Cricket Umpires and Scorers on Cricket Board instructions.

Then out of the blue he received a telephone call to say that as he had been the 5,000th person to officially register he had won a special prize.

“It was a complete surprise when I was told I would be going down to Lord’s for the first day of the first Test with South Africa on July 10, all expenses paid.

“I can take a pal – David Hughes a cricketing enthusiast from my neck of the woods in Lancaster – and we are going down on the day before to be given a guided tour of Lord’s.

“We will also get the chance to meet the umpires who will be officiating in the Test, Darryl Harper, Billy Bowden and Jeff Crowe and then, on the day, we will receive all the hospitality and hopefully enjoy a full day’s cricket.

“I’ve watched Test matches at Old Trafford before but never at Lord’s so it’s going to be quite a day for me,” he said.

Mike has been umpiring in the Eden Valley League this season to widen his experience and after moving to Cumbria four years ago stood in the North Lancs and Cumbria League in 2006 and 2007.

He hails from Lancaster where he was a wicket-keeper batsman with his local club before playing at Trimpell and Warton before finishing at the Gregson club which concentrated on friendlies and tours. It was a shoulder injury, picked-up playing cricket, which actually finished his career and eventually he decided to take up umpiring.

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