Queensland Cricket Umpires' and Scorers' Association Inc

Umpires Set to Soar in 2026-27

The Queensland Cricket State, Emerging and Country Umpire Panels for the 2026-27 season have now been confirmed.

Congratulations to the following five umpires selected for the State Umpire Panel: Simon Bussey, Benjamin Farrell, Nathan James, Michael Mellifont, and Kylie White.

The Queensland State Umpire Panel are leaders in the State’s umpiring space, officiating in various Cricket Australia competitions including Men's & Women's Second XI, WNCL, WBBL, Spring Challenge, and National Underage Championships.

Simon Bussey returns to the Queensland umpire development pathway after spending last season in Western Australia, whilst Kylie White becomes the first female appointee to the State Umpire Panel, following her strong showing in WNCL, WBBL and Premier Cricket in 2025-26.

Ben Farrell, Nathan James and Michael Mellifont renew their involvement with the State Umpire Panel as they continue to perform well in both Queensland and Cricket Australia appointments.

Queensland Emerging Umpire Panel member Elsie Bradford will again feature in Cricket Australia appointments this season, building on her national competition experience from last year. Bradford will be part of an eight-member Queensland Cricket Emerging Umpire Panel for 2026–27, alongside Jack Clothier, Robert Hayter, Hamish Knowles, Jordan McManus, Lachlan Nolan, Allen Stanley and Naveen Vinod. The group will be given opportunities to officiate in Queensland Premier Cricket and KFC T20 MAX, while also taking part in a range of development programs throughout the season.

The State Umpire Panel and Emerging Umpire Panel will again be under the tutelage of State Umpire Coach Peter Parker, continuing his work over the past two seasons in developing Queensland umpires towards elite performance and higher honours.

Both the South Queensland and North Queensland Country Umpire Panels have been finalised, with representative matches starting soon. The South Queensland Panel features seven umpires, with Gold Coast umpire Dhiraj Ahuja making his representative debut alongside fellow Gold Coaster Peter Larter. Darling Downs has two representatives in this year’s Panel with Richard Smith and Shane Walker returning for another season, whilst the SEQ Zone’s Matt van de Werken, Jason Bennett and Peter Kleinschmidt round out the South Panel for 2026-27.

In the North there are two panels – Senior and Development – that offer umpires the opportunity to officiate top-level country cricket in the tropics. Andrew Firman, Col Morris and Bill Perry will lead the charge through their involvement with the North Senior Panel, whilst the North Development Panel has 11 members from each of the 4 zones to oversee the Second XI and Under 18 matches to be played this season.

Cricket Australia Contracted Umpire Panel members from Queensland: Donovan Koch, Stephen Dionysius, Riki Wessels

Queensland Cricket State Umpire Panel: Simon Bussey, Benjamin Farrell, Nathan James, Michael Mellifont, Kylie White

Queensland Cricket Emerging Umpire Panel: Elsie Bradford, Jack Clothier, Jordan McManus, Lachlan Nolan, Allen Stanley, Naveen Vinod

Queensland Country Cricket Umpire Panels:

North QLD Senior Panel: Andrew Firman, Col Morris, Bill Perry
North QLD Development Panel: Paul Anderson, Joe Barnes, Josh Brown, Michael Bugeja, Harrison Carrara, Tim Cu***ng, Chakri Macha, Craig Ondarchie, Ken Probyn, Shane Rabbitt, Luke Wenitong
South QLD Panel: Dhiraj Ahuja, Jason Bennett, Peter Kleinschmidt, Peter Larter, Richard Smith, Matt van de Werken, Shane Walker

Congratulations to Robert Hayter on his appointment to officiate at the Under 18 Indoor Cricket World Cup in South Africa.

This is an outstanding international opportunity and a well-deserved recognition of your dedication, professionalism, and commitment to umpiring.

Robbie, we are confident you will represent Australia with distinction, and we wish you every success on the world stage. Safe travels, and enjoy this remarkable experience.

Go well!

The details of the memorial service for Merv Musch are as follows:

Venue: Logan Village Community Centre - Hall
Date: Jul 03, 2026 @ 1:00pm
Location: Logan Village Community Centre
24-32 Wharf St, Logan Village QLD 4207

Below is the link for the tribute page with full details of the memorial – please RSVP via this page.

Memorial page for Trevor Musch - Bare Mervyn Trevor Musch’s story starts on April 4, 1948, when he was born in Australia to parents Mervyn Cecil Musch and Olive Mary Musch. When Mervyn was 28, he married his wife, Sherryl Glen Watt. Mervyn became a father to Rohan Garth and Samantha Karley. Mervyn went on to work in various capacities...

Congratulations to QCUSA umpire Naveen Vinod, who has been appointed to the Male Final of the National Indigenous Cricket Championships being held at the Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay, starting at 2pm. The T20 game is being broadcast on NITV (Channel 34) or on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/live/njZGlLhcLNk

Go well, Naveen!