Mel McInnes
Encyclopedia
Melville James "Mel" McInnes (30 August 1915, Prospect, South Australia
– 23 July 1996, Adelaide, South Australia) was an Australian cricket Test match umpire.
He umpired 16 Test matches
between 1951 and 1959. His first match was between Australia
and the West Indies
at Adelaide
on 22 December to 25 December 1951 (the first Test to include play on Christmas Day), won by the West Indies after dismissing Australia for 82 in the first innings. McInnes’ partner in this match was Ron Wright
.
McInnes’ first international match was the England against South Australia
match in January 1951. He no-balled Doug Wright
three balls in succession for over-stepping, and this courageous act may have led to his first Test appointment the following year.
His last match – also at Adelaide and with Ron Wright as his partner - was between Australia and England
on 30 January to 5 February 1959. This was won by Australia by 10 wickets largely due to 170 by Colin McDonald and 9 wickets to Richie Benaud
. McDonald pulled a thigh muscle and had resumed batting with a runner, when a Run out appeal was made at the bowler’s end. McInnes had moved to the same side as the runner to view the action, and after giving McDonald out to the appeal, had to reverse his decision, as the runner was behind him and out of his view.
McInnes was awarded an Order of Australia
medal (OAM) for his umpiring services. According to his Wisden
obituary he “won a solid reputation for his judgement, impartiality and bearing, but became mired in controversy on the 1958-59 tour [of Australia by England] when he was blamed by the English press after some bad decisions and for not stamping out throwing and dragging among the Australian fast bowlers”. (Presumably Wisden had bowlers Ian Meckiff
and Gordon Rorke
in mind with this comment.) Johnnie Moyes
in 1959 thought “McInnes, in my opinion, ranks with Hele
and Crockett
as the finest Australia has produced … McInnes adopted the English idea of never rushing into a decision and perhaps that is why he makes so few mistakes.”
Prospect, South Australia
Prospect is a suburb located to the north of the centre of Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia.Surrounding suburbs include Kilburn, Fitzroy, and Medindie. Prospect is a middle to upper class suburb of Adelaide...
– 23 July 1996, Adelaide, South Australia) was an Australian cricket Test match umpire.
He umpired 16 Test matches
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
between 1951 and 1959. His first match was between Australia
Australian cricket team
The Australian cricket team is the national cricket team of Australia. It is the joint oldest team in Test cricket, having played in the first Test match in 1877...
and the West Indies
West Indian cricket team
The West Indian cricket team, also known colloquially as the West Indies or the Windies, is a multi-national cricket team representing a sporting confederation of 15 mainly English-speaking Caribbean countries, British dependencies and non-British dependencies.From the mid 1970s to the early 1990s,...
at Adelaide
Adelaide Oval
The Adelaide Oval is a sports ground in Adelaide, South Australia, located in the parklands between the Central Business District and North Adelaide...
on 22 December to 25 December 1951 (the first Test to include play on Christmas Day), won by the West Indies after dismissing Australia for 82 in the first innings. McInnes’ partner in this match was Ron Wright
Ron Wright
Ronald James John Wright was an Australian cricket test match umpire.He umpired 13 Test matches between 1948 and 1959...
.
McInnes’ first international match was the England against South Australia
Southern Redbacks
The South Australia cricket team, nicknamed the Southern Redbacks and known as the West End Redbacks due to their sponsorship agreement with local brewers West End, are an Australian first class cricket team based in Adelaide, South Australia, and represent the state of South Australia...
match in January 1951. He no-balled Doug Wright
Doug Wright
Doug Wright is an American playwright, librettist, and screenwriter. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2004 for his play, I Am My Own Wife.-Early years:Wright was born in Dallas, Texas...
three balls in succession for over-stepping, and this courageous act may have led to his first Test appointment the following year.
His last match – also at Adelaide and with Ron Wright as his partner - was between Australia and England
English cricket team
The England and Wales cricket team is a cricket team which represents England and Wales. Until 1992 it also represented Scotland. Since 1 January 1997 it has been governed by the England and Wales Cricket Board , having been previously governed by Marylebone Cricket Club from 1903 until the end...
on 30 January to 5 February 1959. This was won by Australia by 10 wickets largely due to 170 by Colin McDonald and 9 wickets to Richie Benaud
Richie Benaud
Richard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game....
. McDonald pulled a thigh muscle and had resumed batting with a runner, when a Run out appeal was made at the bowler’s end. McInnes had moved to the same side as the runner to view the action, and after giving McDonald out to the appeal, had to reverse his decision, as the runner was behind him and out of his view.
McInnes was awarded an Order of Australia
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
medal (OAM) for his umpiring services. According to his Wisden
Wisden
The Wisden Group was a group of companies formed by John Wisden & Co Ltd, publishers of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack. As well as John Wisden & Co, the group included the The Wisden Cricketer magazine, Cricinfo – the world's highest traffic cricket website – and the Hawk-Eye computerised...
obituary he “won a solid reputation for his judgement, impartiality and bearing, but became mired in controversy on the 1958-59 tour [of Australia by England] when he was blamed by the English press after some bad decisions and for not stamping out throwing and dragging among the Australian fast bowlers”. (Presumably Wisden had bowlers Ian Meckiff
Ian Meckiff
Ian Meckiff is a former cricketer who represented Australia in 18 Tests between 1957 and 1963...
and Gordon Rorke
Gordon Rorke
Gordon Frederick Rorke is a former Australian cricketer who played in 4 Tests in 1959.Rorke made his Test debut in January 1959 in the Fourth Test of The Ashes series against England in Adelaide...
in mind with this comment.) Johnnie Moyes
Johnnie Moyes
Alban George "Johnny" Moyes MBE MC was a cricketer who played for South Australia and Victoria. Following his brief playing career, Moyes, a professional journalist, he later gained greater fame as a writer and commentator on the game.As a right-hand batsman Moyes scored 883 runs at an average of...
in 1959 thought “McInnes, in my opinion, ranks with Hele
George Hele
George Alfred Hele was a cricket Test match umpire.-Biography:Hele was born in 1891 to Andrew William Hele and Elizabeth Ann Hele, née Patterson...
and Crockett
Bob Crockett
Robert Maxwell Crockett , was an Australian Test match umpire.Crockett umpired a total of 32 Test matches, the highest number by an Australian umpire until passed by Tony Crafter in his last match in 1992...
as the finest Australia has produced … McInnes adopted the English idea of never rushing into a decision and perhaps that is why he makes so few mistakes.”