Richard Kettleborough completes half-century of Tests

Richard Kettleborough of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Umpires became the 15th umpire to complete a half-century of Tests when he took the field for the first Test between South Africa and India at Newlands in Cape Town on Friday.

To celebrate the occasion, Cricket South Africa President and ICC Director Chris Nenzani presented Kettleborough a memento before the start of the match. Also present on the occasion was his fellow on-field umpire Ian Gough, third umpire Paul Reiffel, fourth umpire Bongani Jele and match referee Chris Broad.

The 44-year-old Yorkshireman played 33 first-class matches from 1994 to 1999 for Middlesex and Yorkshire in the English County Championship before he was included in the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) panel of umpires in 2006.

Kettleborough made his international umpiring debut when he stood in a T20I between England and Australia at Old Trafford in 2009. His first Test was between Sri Lanka and the Windies at Galle in November 2010.

He was promoted to the elite panel in May 2011 and apart from his 50 Tests, he has also umpired in 74 ODIs and 22 T20Is.

Kettleborough won the prestigious David Shepherd Trophy for the ICC Umpire of the Year from 2013 to 2015.

List of umpires who have officiated in 50 or more Tests:

Umpire Period Tests

Steve Bucknor 1989-2009 128

Aleem Dar 2003- to date 116

Rudi Koertzen 1992-2010 108

Daryl Harper 1998-2011 95

David Shepherd 1985-2005 92

Billy Bowden 2000-2015 84

Darrell Hair 1992-2008 78

Simon Taufel 2000-2012 74

S Venkataraghavan 1993-2004 73

Dickie Bird 1973-1996 66

Ian Gould 2008- to date 63

Steve Davis 1997-2015 57

Rod Tucker 2010-to date 57

Kumar Dharmasena 2010-to date 51

Richard Kettleborough 2010-to date 50