Age and gender hasn't proven an impediment for Lauren McGill with the Tamworth teenager forging a reputation as one of the rising stars of the umpiring ranks.
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Two years after enrolling in an umpiring course with her dad to get a better understanding of the game, McGill has become the first female since Betty Scott over four decades ago to umpire in the local grade competition.
After umpiring a few junior games last season, she has found herself regularly out in the middle of a Saturday, umpiring from fourth grade up to second grade.
A daunting environment at the best of times, for McGill it is more pronounced by the fact that she is female and so young, but she has taken it in her stride.
"All the feedback from the players is she is extremely competent," Tamworth District Cricket Umpires and Scorers Association president Dan O'Connor said.
He did a game with McGill a little while ago and believes she can go far.
"She's a very handy cricketer but she will have a great future if she wanted to go down the umpiring path," he said.
"She's got a lot of the attributes that make a good umpire."
"She's a very good people manager out on the field."
Also a hockey umpire, McGill says it gives her a different perspective on the game and sees it as not only a way to stay involved in the game that she started playing when she was in Year 4 but also an avenue to further her cricket career.
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Her potential has already been recoognised at higher levels. She recently umpired at the country under-13s girls championships.
"I do enjoy it," she said.
"It's a challenge but I enjoy being challenged."
She admits umpiring men can be a bit intimidating and confronting at times, but has generally found the players to be respectful and welcoming.
"My second game this year they put me on by myself for a fourth grade game," she said.
"I felt really nervous."
"But they were all really welcoming. They know I'm only young and starting out."
She said the biggest challenge is probably confidence, and spoke about being confident in her decisions.
As O'Connor made mention of, McGill is also a pretty handy cricketer, representing Central North at the women's country championships and playing rep for Tamworth from under-14s through to under-16s. Often she was the only girl in her Tamworth side.
She also until this season (she decided to focus more on umpiring) padded up for South Tamworth, playing third and fourth grade.
Cricket is very much a shared passion in the McGill household.
"My brother (Oliver) and dad (David) and I all played two games together," she said.
That was two seasons ago and was "pretty cool".
Having a gap year while she works out what she wants to study after graduating from Peel last year, McGill said she would definitely like to continue with umpiring and is keen to do more courses and maybe one day follow in the footsteps of Claire Polosak.
Polosak, who last year became the first female to umpire a men's one-day international, ran the initial course that McGill attended in 2017, and has been a real inspiration and role model, the two keeping in contact.
"It's nice to have her support. And if I have questions I can just ask her," she said.
