Mind you, nobody was arguing.AMONG THE pleasures of the Emirates final at Lord’s (and there were several) was the presence of David Constant. Throughout, he was chirpy, involved and so clearly enjoying the game. It is a common misconception that Dickie Bird, truly a legend, is the longest-serving umpire in the English first-class game Not so. But a half century ago when the Australians were again the visitors they trounced England and did so, to boot, by being given only six lbws while taking 91 English wickets (6.5 per cent) while England had seven from 63 (11.1 per cent).In 1955 when South Africa toured there were 35 lbw decisions among the 185 wickets taken, the tourists doing marginally better.

In the Ashes series of 1953 there were 26, England narrowly being the greater beneficiaries, in those days before neutral umpires (and regaining the little urn), with 16 from 92 (17.4 per cent) compared to 10 from 70 (14.2 per cent). Considering the gap in bowling standards the gap between the proportion of legs before might have been higher.However, the perception, which admittedly gained pace at Headingley, that there are more lbw decisions than there used to be is not quite right. South Africa might be said not to have had the rub of the green. Though they had lbw appeals upheld from the start of the series they managed only 12 in all although they took 89 England wickets (still a handsome 10 per cent, mind).Last year during the Ashes series England gained 10 lbw verdicts from 94 wickets (9.4 per cent) while Australia got 15 from their 11 wickets (13.5 per cent). There have been more lbw verdicts in a season but the records seem to indicate that England have never, in a home series, gained a higher proportion of their wickets in such a manner.

Of the 65 South African wickets they took, no fewer than 13 needed the eyes and finger of the umpire (as well, of course, as the acuracy of the bowler).
England did not gain a single leg before in any of the first three Tests when they captured 25 wickets, meaning that 32.5 per cent of their victims in their two victories were gained that way. But for the sake of the game the RFU must take the strongest possible action. By doing so rugby would at the very least reach the beginning of the end of this desperately sorry affair.. TOWARDS THE end of the Test series against South Africa it seemed that every other batsmen was being ajudged lbw. Indeed, by the very end, when the series was decided by the upholding of a leg-before verdict against Makhaya Ntini it was possible to wonder if this was only mode of dismissal. There are a number of sanctions available to the RFU including the withholding of sponsorship money and the withdrawal of television coverage.