WGCA Life Member Mike Rolfe is still actively involved in the game he loves. His umpiring career lives on in the growing sport of Over-60s cricket. 74967 Picture: David Nagel
By David Nagel
MIKE Rolfe has his doctor tugging on one arm and his wife on the other as the fast growing sport of Over 60s cricket gives the West Gippsland Cricket Association Life Member, a new lease on life.
Rolfe, 69, moved to Pakenham 47 years ago and played cricket for Officer before beginning an umpiring career which spanned 28 years in the WGCA, 10 as umpiring adviser. Rolfe remembers his first impression of life in the WGCA after playing turf cricket in Darwin for 10 years.
“I thought there was a bitumen road in the middle of the Officer ground when I first saw it,” Rolfe said.
“Then someone explained to me that it was a malthoid pitch, I’d never seen anything like it in all my time in cricket.”
Rolfe has umpired the highest grade of cricket in Melbourne and even had a taste at international level but it’s his recent experiences in the Over 60s form of the game that brings the biggest smile to his face.
“My doctor’s not too happy… he keeps saying ‘Mike, give it away and then I can fix your back up’ but my wife wants me to keep involved, I think she just wants me out of the house,” Rolfe says with a hearty laugh.
Rolfe is at Casey Fields to umpire a Test Series between arch rivals Australia and England and can’t wipe the smile off his face as describes the enjoyment he still gets out of the game. Even if it’s at the expense of others.
“It keeps me alive, to watch the poor buggers try and run is quite funny, but I can’t talk… I can’t bend down to pick up the ball anymore,” he laughs.
The highlight of Rolfe’s umpiring career came on the 23 December 1989 when he called “PLAY” on an international match between Sri Lanka and the Victorian Country XI at the RM Hooper Oval in Hastings.
“That was a wonderful moment, a great atmosphere, a great match and the local boys got up in the end which made it even better,” he said.
“There were television and radio crews there, it really was the highlight of all my years in cricket,” Rolfe says, almost gazing back to the day as he talks.
Despite his growing list of frailties Rolfe has no intentions of calling stumps on his glittering umpiring career just yet.
“I still love the game, even though the body’s calling it quits I hope I can go on for a few more years yet.”
