Man who officiated in inaugural ODI in C’bean dies at 75

Jan 27, 2009 Sports

Umpire Vyphuis to be buried on Friday

By Sean Devers
International cricket Umpire Guyanese Compton Vyphuis, who died early Saturday morning at the Georgetown Public Hospital, will be buried on Friday and the local Umpiring fraternity has planned a wake for the man who officiated in the first ever One-Day International match in the West Indies.
The garrulous Vyphuis, who passed away at age 75 after a brief illness, only last November officiated as a match referee in the four-team Guyana Cricket Board President’s Cup four-day cricket competition and his death follows that of another International Umpire from the West Indies (Barbadian Stanton Parris) who was called to a higher place earlier this month.
Vyphuis stood in the first of his six Test matches in March 1974 when West Indies played England at Bourda while his last job as a Test Umpire was in Trinidad in 1978 when the regional team opposed Australia.
The veteran cricket official, who resided in Leopold Street in the City, was a part of history when on March 16, 1977 he stood in the inaugural ODI in the West Indies when the home team played Pakistan at Albion in Berbice.
That famous ground in Corentyne was also the venue for Vyfhuis’ only other ODI and last International match when he officiated in the West Indies/England contest in 1981.
A well respected Umpire at First-class level, Vyphuis stood in matches at the domestic first division level in Guyana well into his late 60s and was a key member of the Guyana Cricket Umpires Council’s (GCUC) training committee.
Vyphuis was recognised by the GCB for his long and distinguished service to local cricket in 2000.
President of the Georgetown Cricket Umpires Council Grantley Culbard informed that the GCUC, the Georgetown Council and the Demerara Cricket Umpires and Scorers Association (DCU&SA) have collaborated to stage a wake in for their fallen solider tomorrow evening at the Clerical & Commercial Workers Union (CCWU) building at Waterloo and Quamina streets in Georgetown.
Vyphuis’ family will hold another wake the next day at their Leopold Street residence before Friday’s funeral.
Culbard informed that GCUC President Colin Alfred and Secretary Clyde Duncan, who are both overseas officiating in the regional first-class tournament, have been informed of Vyphuis’ passing and they are both expected in the country today.
The body of the late Vyphuis will be available for viewing between 14:00hrs and 15:00hrs at the Lyken Funeral Parlour before a religious service is conducted at the same venue. Vyphuis will be buried at the Le Repentir cemetery.

Latest News