I played cricket at Bedford School and then at Oxford, for Magdalen College, as batsman/wicket-keeper.
While living in Hong Kong during the 1970s and early 1980s, I played for Centaurs in the Saturday League and Vagabonds in the Sunday League.
On my way to 125 at Soo Kun Poo
Some photos of the teams I played for in Hong Kong can be found here.
In December 1983, I went on a Hong Kong Mandarins tour to South America.
The Mandarins Touring Party
Other photos of the places Sue and I visited with the group during the trip to S America can be found here.
During a posting to the Hong Kong Government's Brussels Economic and Trade Office, I played for the Royal Brussels Cricket Club in 1984/85.
Following my return to the UK in 2001, I played once (disastrously) and umpired several times (more successfully, I think!) for the Withered Lilies (Magdalen College alumni).
Withered Lilies vs JCR - 5th June 2016
After umpiring in social games for the Withered Lilies for a few years, I decided to take umpiring up a bit more seriously.
NJF & Jonathan Genton - 7 June 2015
Since 2013, I have served as a panel umpire for the local Cherwell League, while also occasionally umpiring in junior county as well as university and schools cricket.
I took and passed the ECB ACO Level 1 Umpires Course in March 2013 and 2014 was my first full season as a qualified umpire. I completed the Level 1A (equivalent to the new Stage 2) umpires' qualification in 2017 and, after a couple of seasons concentrating on my onfield technique, have been pursuing the Stage 3 qualification since 2019.
My progress was interrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic which decimated the 2020 season. I subsequently completed the Stage 3 qualification during 2021 and 2022 and am looking forward (in April 2023) to umpiring for several more seasons.