CHERTHALA: With her flawless decisions, Cherthala Varanam native P Saritha is becoming a star in the field of cricket umpiring where there are not many women. Saritha made her debut as an umpire in professional cricket through the under-19 regional competition held at KCA ground, Alappuzha. The umpire needs to be more careful than the players on the field, as one wrong decision can change the outcome of the match. But Saritha says she likes to see these challenges as a thrill.

Saritha, who passed the level one umpiring exam and qualified to officiate domestic cricket matches in Kerala, hopes to win the level 2 exam next year and officiate the country's first-class matches, including the Ranji Trophy.

If she makes it a step further, she would be a BCCI panel umpire. Although two women from Kerala have passed the level one umpire exam before, 32-year-old Saritha is the first woman from Kerala to officiate a match on the ground.

During her school days, Saritha used to compete in sports items such as shot put and javelin throw. Although she got admission to GV Raja Sports School, she could not join. When she was studying for a degree at Cherthala NSS College, there was a cricket team for boys. Saritha says she will never forget playing a university match for the women's team after forming a team by pleading with many friends to join the team.