FORMER Hampshire star Billy Taylor insists he loves umpiring as much as he loved playing.

Taylor, whose love of the outdoors has led him to work as a tree surgeon, a falconer and a dog walker, is likely to be back at the Ageas Bowl in his latest role this summer after being promoted to the ECB's full umpire list.

The Southampton-born former Bitterne Park schoolboy, who played for Hampshire from 2004-09, cannot wait to return to the county circuit after replacing long-serving Mark Benson, who has had to retire following back surgery.

"I hugely enjoyed my time playing cricket  and there are moments as a player I’ll always remember," said 39 year-old Taylor, who took 138 wickets in first-class and limited-overs cricket for Hampshire, including 65 at 31.2 apiece in the County Championship.

“Taking a hat-trick [for Hampshire against Middlesex in May 2006] and scoring the winning runs off the last ball of a one-day game [for Hampshire against Derbyshire in August 2006 ] stand out.

Basingstoke Gazette:

“Those moments will always stay with me and if I could go back to playing I would, but those days are behind me.

"I loved umpiring the first time I did it and my passion for it grew and grew. I feel at home in the middle as an umpire and enjoy seeing the game from a different angle.

"I see a lot more of the game than I did as a player and seeing fantastic spells of bowling and how players go about their business is fascinating.

“Physically it’s obviously not as tough but it's tougher mentally because you have to be switched on every ball.

“As a player I could switch off down at fine leg and get away with it but you can’t switch off as an umpire.

“All of a sudden you have to make a match-changing decision that people will be judging you for over the course of four days.

“My playing experience has helped. I can appreciate how tough it as a player."

Taylor, who was restricted to one first-class appearance in his last three seasons at Hampshire, continued: "I never really lost my passion for the game but after playing for 11 seasons it knocks the stuffing out of you when it ends.

"It takes you a little while to adjust to normality and it's been a long journey to get here.

"It's nice to have the security of a 12-month contract for the first time in a long time.

"But I'm not going to take things for granted, I'll keep working as hard as I have done for the last five years."

Basingstoke Gazette:

Billy Taylor umpiring a 2nd XI match at the Ageas Bowl last season (Pic by Dave Allen)

Taylor, a Championship winner with Sussex in 2003, has already officiated in six LV County Championship matches, the most recent being Sussex v Nottinghamshire at Horsham last July.

He expects to be allocated his first matches of 2016 in March and hopes to make the short trip from Hedge End, where he lives with his young family, to the Ageas Bowl at some point.

“I’ve been asked whether I’m happy to umpire Hampshire matches, and of course said ‘yes’ - I’m a neutral now!”