Who had the best view in the ground when England won the World Cup?

The men in the white coats of course. Well, OK, the men in the coloured coats.

But it is not only in international cricket is it the umpires are in the middle of the action.

It is true at all levels, and without umpires there is no game.

And there can be a pathway from local league cricket to the iconic home of cricket.

Stephen Jones finished his career in Carnforth's 3rd XI.

“When I finished playing, I decided that I would try umpiring so that I could put something back into the game and could have a continued involvement," he said.

"There are excellent training courses available and it’s possible to progress through these to whichever level suits.

"A bonus is that, as an umpire, you get the best seat in the house at every game.”

And Mr Jones's story is a case in point, because in 2016 he had the honour of officiating in the National Village Final at Lord’s. (see picture left)

So who is the typical umpire?

Tim Mansfield, secretary of the Westmorland Cricket League, said no particular profile or personality fitted the bill.

"We have mechanics, drivers, a signalman, a doctor and a number of retired people," he said.

"Some were good cricketers, others never played the game. We want to increase the number of umpires and are looking to recruit from all walks of life, any age and women as well as men.”

To assist in recruitment, the South Lakeland Association of Cricket Officials is running a taster session at Warton Cricket Club on September 4 at 7.30pm.

This an informal opportunity to find out more about the role and consider whether umpiring is something that you would be interested in doing.

For those interested, formal training will be organised over the winter so new umpires are ready for the 2020 season, and next year you could be umpiring in a delightful setting such as Coniston (pictured right).

For more information, email tim.mansfield@btopenworld.com or call 07453 294549.