Taj Nicholson wins the Panel 4 Umpires Award

Gordon District Cricket Club | April 18, 2026

Gordon’s Taj Nicholson won the Panel 4 Umpires’ Award at the Annual Dinner of the NSW Cricket Umpires and Scorers Association last Saturday night. This is quite an achievement. Taj only took up umpiring this season, starting in Panel 5 (Men’s 5^th Grade) where all recruits start their careers. He was promoted to the 4^th Panel after some good early performances and then proceeded to gain the highest average rating from 4^th Grade captains for the season (4.44 out of 5). He had a taste of the higher grades, debuting in 3^rd Grade in the Round 15 match, North Sydney vs Gordon, at Bon Andrew Oval and was then being appointed to the (final Preliminary) Round 16 3^rd Grade match, Western Suburbs vs Hawkesbury at Blick Oval.

Taj is the most recent former Gordon player to move “to the dark side” and take up umpiring. Previous players include:

Geoff Verco (Gordon First Grade Number 365 – played mostly as a wicketkeeper/batsman in 2^nd and 3^rd Grades during the 1970’s)

Last umpired 2020-21 – 125 Grade matches, including 10 Second Grade matches

Phil Bovey (A spin bowler who played and captained in Gordon lower grades during the 1970’s and 80’s)

Last umpired 1997-98 – 158 Grade matches, including 45 First Grade matches.

Jim Cameron (Gordon First Grade Number 366 – played a lot of 2^nd and 3^rd Grade as a wicketkeeper in the 1970’s and 1980’s)

Famously took up umpiring after an incident in a cricket match where he severely criticised an umpire and was suspended for several games, not only losing the captaincy but also not being permitted to remain as the Club’s Hon. Secretary.)

Last umpired 2008-09 – 244 Grade matches, including 195 First Grade matches.

(He also umpired, either on-field or TV, 11 First Class matches and 1 ODI)

Bill Hendricks (Gordon First Grade Number 421 – played and captained in lower grades during the 1980’s and 1990’s as a right hand bat and right arm leg-spin/googly bowler.)

He had previously migrated from South Africa where he played 18 First Class matches for Western Province. Gordon’s Hon. Secretary for much of the 1990’s

Last umpired 2014-15 – 326 Grade matches including 265 First Grade matches

Rod Tucker (Gordon First Grade Number 499 – captained the Gordon 1^st Grade team in the 2001-02 season after an outstanding First Class career for NSW and Tasmania.)

Rod and former Test fast bowler Paul Reiffel were recruited as umpires by Cricket Australia at the end of his season with Gordon. After learning his trade in Sydney Grade cricket, Rod has gone on to become Australia’s most capped Test Umpire.

To date, he has umpired 98 Men’s Tests and 110 Men’s ODI’s plus numerous Women’s International matches.

 Author: Andy Falk