Sue Redfern will be fourth umpire for England's opening T20 international against Sri Lanka in Cardiff on Wednesday; Redfern is first female to officiate in an England men's home international; the 43-year-old umpired in England Women's Test with India Women last week
Tuesday 22 June 2021 16:51, UK
Sue Redfern will become the first female to officiate in an England men's home international after being named fourth umpire for the opening T20 international against Sri Lanka at Cardiff on Wednesday.
Alex Wharf was appointed to the role but is reserve umpire at the ongoing World Test Championship final between India and New Zealand, which is set to go into a sixth day on Wednesday following bad weather at the Ageas Bowl.
Redfern was kept on standby in case of such an eventuality and the England and Wales Cricket Board announced on Tuesday that the 43-year-old will make history when England take the field in the Welsh capital on Wednesday evening.
Redfern, who was one of the on-field umpires for the one-off women's Test between England and India at Bristol last week, has stood in 32 women's internationals in total and overseen another 12 as a TV umpire.
She represented England as a player on 21 occasions in total - six times in Tests and a further 15 in one-day internationals between 1995 and 1999.
Her appointment for the first of three T20s between England and Sri Lanka comes just a few months after Claire Polosak became the first woman to preside over a men's Test when she was fourth umpire for the game between Australia and India at Sydney in January.
Watch England's first T20 international against Sri Lanka, in Cardiff, live on Sky Sports Cricket from 6pm on Wednesday.
