Egan Elevated to Country Umpire Panel

Jeff Egan will become the 56^th capped member of the Country Representative Umpire Panel, elevated to the group of eight selected by NSWCUSA ahead of the 2022-23 season.

Hailing from the Riverina, Egan umpires in the Wagga Wagga District Cricket Association competition and last season umpired his 100th match since debuting as a match official.

In state representative competitions, he has officiated the Bradman Cup and Country Colts carnivals as well as at various State Challenge carnivals and umpired Men’s First Grade in NSW Premier Cricket.

Earlier this year saw Egan officiate on the SCG for the first time, taking to the middle with Riverina colleague Brenton Harrison for the Plan B Regional Bash Sixers Conference Final on February 14.

State Umpiring Manager Darren Goodger said of the elevation, “Jeff was particularly impressive in season 2021-22 at the three representative carnivals he attended.

“He deserves this opportunity after several seasons of commitment and consistently strong performances in country cricket programs and we wish him well as he joins the panel for the first time.”

Goodger also paid tribute to Neil Smith, who retires from the panel after five seasons as a member of the group, a period which saw him officiate three consecutive Country Championships Finals.

“Neil can be proud of his contribution to the team. He brought wonderful enthusiasm for cricket and umpiring to the panel, he was reliable and well prepared, and he was one to always have the back of his colleague.

“Neil possesses outstanding people management skills and as such it is no exaggeration to say he was loved and respected by the players. We wish him the very best and hope to see him remain involved in cricket and umpiring.”

The panel services Country Cricket NSW representative programs at both a senior and junior level, including the men’s and women’s Regional Bash competitions.

The full panel for season 2022-23 is:

• Graeme Glazebrook (Western Zone)
• Bruce Baxter (North Coastal Zone)
• John De Lyall (Western Zone)
• Jeff Egan (Riverina Zone)
• Dave Cullen (Greater Illawarra Zone)
• Brenton Harrison (Riverina Zone)
• Keiran Knight (Newcastle Zone)
• Phil Rainger (Newcastle Zone)

Photo: Jeff Egan and Brenton Harrison together at the Sydney Cricket Ground ahead of the Plan B Regional Bash T20 Sixers Conference Final in February // Ben Churcher