Is it Captain America? Is it Batfink? No it's Bruce Oxenford and his £67 bulletproof 保護物，者 designed to keep umpires 安全な in flashbang world of international cricket

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His fellow umpire Paul Reiffel calls him Batfink after the 風刺漫画 metal-winged crimefighter, while Joe Root has dubbed him Captain America. But Bruce Oxenford is 簡単に happy feeling safer in his 職業.

Oxenford is the umpire who 原因（となる）d a 動かす during England's one-day series against Sri Lanka when he took to the field wearing a 保護物，者 on his left arm with what David Lloyd on Sky 述べるd as a 巨大（な） 卓球 bat on the end.

The Australian is happy to smile at the light-hearted comments his self-made 発明 has 生成するd but there is a serious 推論する／理由 why he now takes to the field with his unique piece of 保護.

Bruce Oxenford took 告発（する），告訴（する）／料金 of England's second ODI vs Sri Lanka at Edgbaston wearing a 保護の 保護物，者

His self-styled contraption cost £67 to put together and is made from a 構成要素 類似の to bulletproof glass

The Australian （機の）カム up with the idea to 保護する himself from the powerful hitting of the likes of Jason Roy

'I was lying in my hotel bed in Delhi earlier this year when I （機の）カム up with this idea,' Oxenford told Sportsmail.?

'My fellow umpire John 区 was on 義務 in India and had just been 攻撃する，衝突する on the 長，率いる and 不正に 負傷させるd. He was in a bad way.

'We'd been talking for a long time about how we're in the 解雇する／砲火／射撃ing line and the ball is coming 支援する harder and faster all the time.

'There's been talk of helmets but I don't really want to wear one because I think it will 制限する my peripheral 見通し and 審理，公聴会 and also I don't think I'm going to get 攻撃する，衝突する in the 直面する.

'The natural thing is to throw your 手渡すs up in 前線 of your 直面する and turn your 長，率いる away when the ball comes at you but then I thought, "What if there's something like an 延長するd arm guard which would 行為／法令／行動する as a 保護物，者?"?

'I felt I could make it work. I would be able to do everything I need to do and not get in the way of the bowler.'

The next step for Oxenford, a 高度に regarded member of the ICC's エリート パネル盤, was to call on the knowledge he 伸び（る）d running the construction arm of his family 閣僚-making 会社／堅い on the Gold Coast of Queensland.

John 区 was struck in the 長，率いる by a ball last year and went to hospital - since then he's worn a he lmet

Oxenford debuted his forearm-保護するing レコード in March in a match between Australia and the West Indies

'I used to 削減（する） 形態／調整s out of plywood so it was 現実に 公正に／かなり straightforward to come up with something like this,' said the amiable Oxenford.?

'I did a bit of 研究 and looked at polycarbonate, which is 基本的に like bulletproof glass. It's 極端に strong and you couldn't break it with a sledgehammer.

'I took a 製図／抽選 to a plastics company and they ran it up for me pretty easily. Then I got a cushion to 保護物，者 the padding and a bit of Velcro to ひもで縛る it on. It needs an easier form to get it on and off but that will come.

'I wore it 簡潔に in a warm-up game earlier this year but it was too 激しい and cumbersome, so when I （機の）カム 支援する I redesigned it and took it to the IPL where I used it in every match I stood in.'

Oxenford, 56, is in no 疑問 that in the big-hitting world of modern cricket, his 保護物，者 could 証明する a life-saver.?

'I had people throw cricket balls at me from の近くに 範囲 and it stood up to the 実験（する）. I don't 現実に have to move it very far,' he said.

'It can be exceptionally dangerous these days because that ball comes 支援する so 急速な／放蕩な at you. Jason Roy 攻撃する，衝突する a 境界 the other night at The Oval and the ball （機の）カム 負かす／撃墜する at 80mph and （機の）カム 支援する at 120 and just flew past 略奪する Bailey.

'There's just no time to get out of the way and if the bowler sticks his 手渡す out and deflects it your way, it can be just 脅すing. The way I stand, it's already 保護するing my chest and upper 団体／死体 and if the ball comes at you it's really just moving it up a little bit and it covers your 直面する.

'More people get 攻撃する，衝突する on the 団体／死体 than the 長，率いる and more deaths have happened in cricket when people have been struck on the 団体／死体, so this is multi-目的.

Fellow umpire Paul Reiffel, 権利, has compared his 同僚 to carton crimefighter Batfink

Batfink was a character created by Hal Seeger in the 1960s - a grey bat with a 有望な yellow 衣装

'A lot of guys get 攻撃する，衝突する standing at square 脚, too, because they just can't get out of the way, so this is also good when you're there.'

The reaction to Oxenford's 外見 has been encouraging.?

'It's been very good even though a lot of umpires have taken the mickey out of me,' smiled Oxenford.?

'Paul Reiffel called me Batfink and Joe Root said I look like Captain America, so I've had that sort of stuff, but it's also been 圧倒的に 肯定的な.

'A lot of guys have asked me if it will become commercially 利用できる and I've spoken with Gray-Nicolls (製造業者s of cricket 器具／備品) about it already. I showed them the first 原型 and they're working on something 類似の.'

England batsman Joe Root has compared Oxenford to Captain America when he wears his contraption

Chris Evans played the superhero in the movie adaptations of the famous Marvel comic from 2011

Oxenford even has a 指名する for his 創造 which could 井戸／弁護士席 make him an umpiring 開拓する.

'A lot of guys have told me I should call it the Ox 封鎖する, which sounds all 権利 to me,' he said.?

'I'm not sure there is a 抱擁する market for it but it might make a dollar or two. I wouldn't be surprised if every umpire had one in a few years' time.

'本人自身で I just think it's the sensible thing to do. All in, it cost me 120 Australian dollars (£67) to make as a one-off so it would be cheaper if they were made in 本体，大部分／ばら積みの. I hope it is here to stay.'

And if the Ox 封鎖する saves one life, then Bruce Oxenford will be happier to be known as any superhero you care to について言及する.

Oxenford says he thinks most umpires could own one of his 'Ox 封鎖するs' within the next few years