Cricket Dec 07, 2025

Dickie Bird: Legendary cricket umpire dies aged 92, Yorkshire County Cricket Club announces

👤
By Admin
Sports Journalist
Dickie Bird: Legendary cricket umpire dies aged 92, Yorkshire County Cricket Club announces

Legendary cricket umpire Dickie Bird has died aged 92, Yorkshire County Cricket Club has announced.

Harold Dennis 'Dickie' Bird MBE OBE became one of the most famous umpires in cricket, officiating 66 Tests and 69 one-day internationals, as well as three World Cup finals.

He was appointed an MBE in 1986 and an OBE in 2012 in recognition of his outstanding contribution to cricket.

In a statement, Bird's home county Yorkshire said: "He died peacefully at home at the age of 92 and he leaves behind a legacy of sportsmanship, humility, and joy - and a legion of admirers across generations.

"He will be truly missed by all at the club having spent an incredible amount of time in support of everyone here and will be remembered as one the greatest characters in Yorkshire's history."

Bird was born in Barnsley and played club cricket with England batter Geoffrey Boycott and presenter Sir Michael Parkinson.

He began his cricketing career at Yorkshire where he notched a career-best of 181 not out before moving to Leicestershire.

He retired at the age of 32 with an average of 20.71.

Bird officiated a county match for the first time in 1970 and stood in his first Test just three years later.

Michael Atherton was credited with organising the unprecedented guard of honour with which England and India welcomed Bird on the occasion of his 66th and final Test at Lord's.

Bird came to be one of the best-known figures in the sport, an outstanding umpire also famous for his amusing interactions with players and fans alike, as well as his seeming talent for being involved in quirky, memorable moments.

Among the incidents that saw his legend grow were a bomb scare at Lord's, when he observed proceedings while sitting on the covers in the centre of the pitch, the burst water pipes at Headingley and his entertaining exchange of opinions with a frustrated crowd, a first recorded instance of 'good light stopped play' thanks to a Trent Bridge greenhouse and an elbow injury sustained while slipping in the showers at the Women's World Cup.

The last match Bird officially umpired in was a fixture between Yorkshire and Warwickshire at Headingley in 1998.

"The thoughts of everyone at the Yorkshire County Cricket Club are with Dickie's family and friends during this time," Yorkshire said.

"He will be truly missed by all at the club, having spent an incredible amount of time in support of everyone here, and will be remembered as one the greatest characters in Yorkshire's history.

"Further details regarding memorial arrangements will be shared in due course, and the club will be looking to honour him in a variety of ways in the coming weeks."

Tags:

cricket news id:13436654

Share this article

Related Posts

England men cricket fixtures and results 2026: T20 World Cup, plus games vs India, Pakistan, New Zealand and more

England men cricket fixtures and results 2026: T20 World Cup, plus games vs India, Pakistan, New Zealand and more

Full fixtures for England's men's side in 2026, including the T20 World Cup and home white-ball series against India.All times UK and Ireland 🕰️

Men's T20 World Cup 2026 squads: England, India, Pakistan, Australia, Ireland, West Indies, South Africa, Italy and more

Men's T20 World Cup 2026 squads: England, India, Pakistan, Australia, Ireland, West Indies, South Africa, Italy and more

Check out the squads for the 2026 Men's T20 World Cup, which takes place in India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8, live on Your Site.India: S...

England Women cricket fixtures and results 2026: T20 World Cup, India Test match at Lord's and more

England Women cricket fixtures and results 2026: T20 World Cup, India Test match at Lord's and more

Full fixtures for England's women's side in 2026, including the home T20 World Cup.All times UK and Ireland 🕰️

England T20 World Cup squad: Jofra Archer and Josh Tongue named in provisional group for 2026 tournament but no Jamie Smith or Brydon Carse

England T20 World Cup squad: Jofra Archer and Josh Tongue named in provisional group for 2026 tournament but no Jamie Smith or Brydon Carse

Jofra Archer has been included in England's provisional T20 World Cup squad after his Ashes-ending injury, with fellow fast bowler Josh Tongue also na...

The Ashes: England's Gus Atkinson ruled out of fifth and final Test as tourists lose third fast bowler to injury

The Ashes: England's Gus Atkinson ruled out of fifth and final Test as tourists lose third fast bowler to injury

Gus Atkinson has been ruled out of the final Ashes Test, leaving England three bowlers down as they close the series in Sydney.Atkinson pulled up whil...

The Ashes: England's MCG win shows how different series vs Australia could have been, say Sky Sports' Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain

The Ashes: England's MCG win shows how different series vs Australia could have been, say Sky Sports' Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain

England's "hollow" Ashes victory in Melbourne brought about feelings of "huge frustration" as it showed just how different the series could have been...