Syd Buller

John Sydney Buller MBE (23 August 1909 – 7 August 1970)[1] was an English first-class cricketer, and notable international cricket umpire.

Syd Buller
MBE

Personal information
Full name	John Sydney Buller
Born	(1909-08-23)23 August 1909 Wortley, West Yorkshire England
Died	7 August 1970(1970-08-07) (aged 60) Edgbaston Cricket Ground, Birmingham, England
Batting	Right-handed
Role	Wicket-keeper
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1930	Yorkshire
1935–1946	Worcestershire
Umpiring information
Tests umpired	33 (1956–1969)
Career statistics
Competition First-class cricket Matches 112 Runs scored 1,746 Batting average 13.74 100s/50s 0/2 Top score 64 Catches/stumpings 177/73
Source: CricInfo, 27 February 2010

Buller was born in Wortley near Leeds in Yorkshire. As a player, he was a competent wicket-keeper and lower-order right-hand bat. He played for Worcestershire between 1935 and 1946, having played once for Yorkshire in 1930.[1] In 1939, he was severely injured in the car crash that killed Worcestershire opening batsman Charlie Bull, on the Sunday evening of the Whitsun match with Essex, and missed the next two months of cricket.

He made his debut as a first-class umpire in 1951. He umpired in 33 Tests between 1956 and 1969. He was awarded the MBE in 1965. In August 1970, Buller collapsed and died at Edgbaston, Birmingham, during a break for rain, when officiating in a match between Warwickshire and Nottinghamshire.

A fearless umpire, he repeatedly called Geoff Griffin for throwing in the exhibition match staged following the early conclusion of the Lord's Test between England and South Africa in 1960, after Frank Lee had called him during the Test itself. This had the effect of ending Griffin's Test career.[2]