FORMER TEST UMPIRE SHEPHERD DEAD
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FORMER Test match umpire and Gloucestershire cricketer David Shepherd has died from cancer at the age of 68, the Englishman's former county announced.
Shepherd, widely regarded as one of the best umpires of his generation, stood in 92 Tests and 172 one-day internationals, including three World Cup finals, between 1983-2005.
He was perhaps best known to cricket fans around the world for his superstitious habit of standing on one leg when the score reached "Nelson", England's supposedly unlucky number of 111 or multiples such as 222.
Shepherd, who scored a century on his county debut, spent 14 seasons with Gloucestershire and the county's chairman, John Light, said: "As an umpire he has always been a familiar and much-loved face, not only here but at cricket grounds around the world.
"He was friendly, outgoing and straightforward. He believed cricket was a simple game and he took a straightforward approach to it in his cricket and his umpiring. He always put a smile on your face."
