Hello, I'm Krestey Young, and this is a podcast from the Desert Island Discs archive.

For rights reasons, we've had to shorten the music.

The program was originally broadcast in 1996, and the presenter was Sue Lolly. My cast away this week is an umpire. The game of cricket has absorbed his whole life from his childhood in Barnsley

through his years as a professional batsman to his time as the embodiment of justice on the field

of play. In 65 test matches, 92 one-day internationals and three World Cup finals,

he's kept his temper and his judgment despite confrontations with streakers,

angry spectators or overe-excited players.

A tribute which particularly pleases him came from Ian Botham, who once said that he was the

best umpire that had ever lived, fair, honest, consistent and bonkers.

He is Harold Dickie Bird.

Bonkers and bar me, our adjectives that go.

Why do they all say this about you, Dickie?

I've always been of a very highly strong nature.

Manorisms I do on the field I don't realize I'm doing and I think this is

where they all get this bonkers from. But it's I mean obviously you have made the players laugh I mean you've had some they played a lot of practical jokes on you in your time

They were always taking the Mickey out of me on the middle and I miss Alan Lamb and Ian both them out there because not only were they were good players, they were character.

In a test match at Trent Bridge, Alan Lamb came out to bat for England at number four.

England had lost two quick wickets and I was at

square leg and the pitch was over there away from me and lamb came from the

pavilion and he's coming towards me at square leg and I thought to myself what's he doing coming towards me as his eyes gone and have my eyes gone and he came up to me he said Dickie I said what's a problem he said I forgot my mobile phones in my pocket. He said I forgot to take it out of my pocket I want you to look after it and if it rings answer it

I said you must be joking well in the middle of a test match man he said

put in your pocket if it rings answering and off he wobbled away to take guard of

...