Father, son in umpiring combination

The father and son combination of Kenrick Davis-Whyttle and Roger Davis walked out last Wednesday morning at the Arnos Vale One Playing Field{{more}} as umpires in the Windwards Senior Cricket Tournament, as host St. Vincent and the Grenadines took on Grenada.

The two have umpired together on two occasions in the RBTT Premier Division of the national Cricket programme, but it is believed that their appearance in last Wednesday’s match is a piece of cricketing history at that level of Cricket in the Windwards, and possibly in the Caribbean.

But while the two may have entered the history books, it was also the farewell game for the elder Davis as he was to have announced his retirement as an umpire at the end of the tournament.

Davis-Whyttle, 56, is the brother of former St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Windwards, Combined Islands and West Indies fast bowler Winston Davis.

He began his umpiring career at the age of 16 years, and has umpired numerous Cricket matches at the local level for the last 40 years.

Davis-Whyttle, known in local Cricketing circles, as “Walking pacer”, for his lumbering, near walk to the wicket as a fast bowler, has umpired at the regional level between 2007 and 2010.

His eldest son Roger, himself a medium pacer of note, and a former Executive member of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Cricket Association, is on his way to becoming a fully accredited West Indies umpire.

Roger is set to complete the West Indies umpires oral examination this Sunday, December 11.

He has already been successful at the theoretical examination in 2010 and the practical examinations in 2011.

A delighted Roger, who has been umpiring for the past fourteen years, was upbeat on the occasion.

He told SEARCHLIGHT last Wednesday, “I am happy and at the same time honoured to umpire with my father”. (RT)