Bowling us over

KNYSNA NEWS - The 2021/22 cricket season has come and gone, and during that season Klaaste walked away with numerous accolades for her efforts, some of which were never before awarded to a female umpire.

Klaaste may only have moved to Knysna last year, but she has certainly wasted no time.

This season alone, she became the first woman to umpire in a men's SWD Cricket final when she officiated in the SWD T20 Competition final; she was the first woman to umpire in the men's SWD Premier League; she officiated in the SWD Women's League final; she umpired in the CSA Women's Week in October, the CSA USSA A and Khaya Majola U19 weeks in December and the CSA T20 Community Cup in April. At the three latter tournaments, all of which are national competitions, Klaaste was the only female umpire.

These achievements led to Klaaste being named the SWD Premier League Umpire of the Season, and moreover the overall SWD Cricket Umpire of the Season - on both occasions she was the first woman to win either award. Needless to say, Klaaste enjoyed a highly successful 2021/22. But, where did her umpiring journey start?

Upbringing

Klaaste, 24, was born and raised in Kimberley, where her schooling started at West End Primary School. She then attended Northern Cape High School, matriculating in 2016 before pursuing and completing a Bachelor of Science in Data Science at Sol Plaatje University, also in Kimberley.

An avid cricket and hockey player, Klaaste's sporting journey started at a very young age.

She started by playing street cricket and at age 7 started playing Baker's Mini Cricket (now KFC Mini Cricket).

There wasn't any serious girls cricket at her schools though, but this didn't deter Klaaste. "We would have training sessions, but it was always a struggle to fill two teams for a game due to the lack of interest. I played for the U19 provincial girls cricket team since Grade 8, as well as for the senior provincial ladies team which I thoroughly enjoyed," Klaaste explains. But things took a turn in 2017 when she found a new love within the game - officiating.(PAGE 8 PIC) Kerrin Klaaste signals a wide during a game that she officiated this season.

The start of it all

"In 2017, I attended a cricket scorer's session and obtained my certificate. I immediately attempted my level one umpires exam within the same week because I wanted to grow my skill set," she said.

"As soon as the season started I quickly realised that I quite enjoyed standing on the park much more than balancing [match] summary sheets. Not long after that, I was given the opportunity to officiate a school T20 final (also the first time a female had done this) and that's the moment my 'career' kicked off."

The umpiring started out as a casual weekend hobby while studying, but didn't stay that way for too long. "Since hockey and cricket are seasonal sports, I needed to keep busy throughout the year and try and earn some spare change in the process too.

As soon as I became aware of the type of opportunities which lay ahead for female umpires in cricket, I instinctively took it more seriously. Some opportunities reap greater rewards so the sacrifices thus far have been worthwhile."

So far, so good

Five years on from officiating her first cricket match, Klaaste's budding umpiring career has seen her overcome hurdle after hurdle and break barrier after barrier.

Cricket used to be a male-dominated sport with little room for women - be it as a player or an official. But, women's cricket has been receiving increasingly more attention and recognition, leading to enhanced development within the women's game.

This has extended to female officials - and Klaaste has grasped her opportunities with both hands. It has, however, not been smooth sailing. "The hardest factor was overcoming the idea that players would think that I am incapable of carrying out what was seen as a man's role," she says.

"So as soon as I asserted myself, sold my decisions with confidence and cemented myself, the respect slowly rolled in and players started to trust me more. I would absorb so much from them during the game. Listening to the plays they call or just the lingo aided me with things like positioning myself in the most ideal spot to make the right call."

She also acknowledges that she has benefitted from veteran umpires being willing to support her and aid her growth. "No one was ever selfish with information. Whether it related to technique or theory - I have never been turned down. Everyone along my journey has always gone above and beyond to help me grow," Klaaste says. "I've been fortunate enough to be placed in environments that created such a healthy mindset towards wanting to grow as a female umpire. I couldn't begin to thank those who had faith in my capabilities."

This season

Klaaste is well aware of how special 2021/22 has been for her. "It has by far been my most outstanding season to date. I've always had high expectations for myself; however, what I've achieved this past season has exceeded far beyond what I had anticipated."

While she has been showered in accolades this season, one achievement in particular stands out - being named SWD Umpire of the Season, as it's a female first.

"This is one milestone I will personally hold in high regard for some time to come. I would never have been able to be in the running for it without initially being given the opportunity to umpire at the above-mentioned tournaments," she says proudly.

Of the several tournaments that she attended this season, the most recent was the CSA T20 Community Cup in April. It was an experience she will never forget. "It was by far one of my most challenging tournaments, although I do believe that I've gained very valuable experience by working under Gerrie Pienaar together with a smaller group of umpires."

Looking ahead

The future looks bright for Klaaste and her umpiring career.

She aims to hone in on her theoretical work during the upcoming off season to enhance her understanding of the cricket laws and playing conditions. "With test cricket coming back into play in the ladies set-up, I've got some work cut out for myself if I want to do better."

Kerrin Klaaste takes her mark while officiating this season. Photos: Blake Linder