Sue Redfern became first female umpire to stand in a men's County Championship match when Glamorgan hosted Derbyshire last week; 45-year-old says, "there is absolutely no reason why females can't umpire in this environment and I think that's an important message to send"
Monday 2 October 2023 15:33, UK
Sue Redfern feels she has helped "send an important message" after becoming the first female to umpire a match in the LV= Insurance County Championship.
Redfern stood in last week's Division Two match between Glamorgan and Derbyshire in Cardiff.
"There is absolutely no reason why females can't umpire in this environment and I think that's an important message to send," Redfern told the England and Wales Cricket Board website.
"I have to recognise the importance of visibility and the fact people haven't seen female umpires before in this environment. We know that if we see people who are like us, others can aspire to be.
"I feel incredibly privileged and lucky to be where I am and to call this a profession. I was delighted I was able to finish the game feeling strong and I'm very pleased overall, and grateful to my colleagues.
"Who knows what the future holds. For me it is a case of reflecting on the season, looking at some areas of development and seeing how I can improve.
"I want to come back next season and try to consolidate what I've done this year. I need to give myself a bit of time to be proud of what I have achieved.
"I want to stay at this level in the game and I just want to keep on improving. I am full-time and contracted for next season, so the key thing for me is to work hard over the winter to try to improve in all areas.
"You have to is to be able to control the controllables. Whatever I'm given, it is important I can show I can work in that environment, whatever it might be."
"It is a dream to be able to do what I love for a living. I love cricket and it has given me so much. It's just great that I can stand out in the middle and watch some fantastic cricket - I love it.
"It was a new environment for me, and it was a case of establishing myself and getting used to it. I wanted to see what the differences were.
"I just wanted to be me on the field, and that's what I hopefully did. There are different pinch points and different pressure points between the women's and men's game but overall, they all want to be highly competitive and just win the game.
"For me It is all about working with the players."
The 45-year-old joined the Professional Umpires Team, the ECB's group of elite officials, in 2022 and is eligible to stand in men's and women's professional matches.
Redfern played for England between 1995 and 1999 earning 21 caps and has umpired in six major global tournaments including the 2022 Commonwealth Games, three ICC Women's T20 World Cups and two ICC Women's World Cups.
In 2023, Redfern was the first female umpire to officiate a Vitality Blast match between Gloucestershire and Middlesex in Bristol.
Two years ago, Redfern also made history at Cardiff when she was the first female umpire to stand in for a home England men's match.
