Big season culminates in First Class umpiring debut for Gillespie

Cricket Australia congratulates Victorian Phil Gillespie, who has made his First Class umpiring debut at Robertson Oval in Wagga Wagga in the Bupa Sheffield Shield fixture between New South Wales and Victoria. 

Emerging Panel Umpire Gillespie has already had a big 2014/15 cricket season, starting with his List A debut in October in the Matador One-Day Cup fixture between South Australia and Tasmania at Bankstown Oval. 

Following a successful Matador One-Day Cup campaign, Gillespie then stood in the Women’s International Series between Australia and West Indies in November.

In late January Gillespie was appointed to the Women's National Cricket League (WNCL) semi-final between Victoria and New South Wales at Blacktown before standing in a Toyota Futures League game in Sydney as part of the national umpire exchange initiative.

Image Id: ~/media/0B99A1EA1BD44A20BF93671D0C77C0B6?h=625&w=500

Umpire Phil Gillespie evades a ball during the 2014-15 season (above)

Off-the-field, Gillespie has recently been accepted into the 2015 intake of the Australian Sports Commission National Officiating Scholarship program. 

The program aims to assist the development of emerging high performance officials by enabling them to undertake professional development and identified training activities to improve their skills and to fast track them through a recognised pathway to officiate within the elite level of their chosen sport. 

Gillespie began his umpiring career after his last couple of seasons with the Rowville Cricket Club yielded a snapped Achilles, broken jaw and knee reconstruction through playing. 

This lead him to retire from playing but he wanted to remain involved in the game. He attended the Victorian winter classes and enjoyed learning the Laws of Cricket and the challenges umpiring offered, so commenced umpiring in season 2009/10 with Victoria Premier Cricket.

Gillespie’s pathway includes underage carnivals in Victoria before making his way through the grades in Premier Cricket. He has also officiated in a number of Future League fixtures; WNCL/WT20 matches and at Cricket Australia Underage Championships. 

This season Gillespie celebrated his 50th Victorian Premier First Grade game, and will soon achieve his 100th overall Victorian Premier Cricket match.

Gillespie debuted alongside umpiring-veteran Mick Martell on Sunday. 

Australian cricket wishes to Gillespie on his debut, and wishes him a long and prosperous umpiring career.

To find out how you can become an umpire - click here.