Young Oliver Thorpe took his first step on the ladder of his Umpiring career on Saturday , the opening day of the season. Oliver is just 16 and by a long way, the youngest member of NIACUS.

He passed the Umpire Level 1 course held during the winter at the NIACUS Training weekend.

He umpired Derriaghy v Victoria in his first match and performed very well. He is already looking forward to his next appointment. He is a very keen cricketer and enthusiastic about his future in Umpiring.

Let's hope this is the start of a promising career.

Any other young cricketers out there who wish to follow in Oliver's footsteps please get in touch through this website or your local club - and age is no barrier!