2000 Tottori earthquake

The 2000 Tottori earthquake (鳥取地震 "Tottorijishin") occurred on 6 October 2000, at with a moment magnitude of 6.7 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII ("Severe"). The epicenter was near Yonago and Matsue. About $150 million in damage was caused (with 104 buildings destroyed) and 130 people were injured.

Leicestershire won their first-ever trophy in 1972, the inaugural Benson and Hedges Cup at Lord's, and Balderstone took the man of the match Gold Award. He scored 41 not out and steered the team to the trophy. This marked the beginning of a golden era for Leicestershire, with 5 trophies in 5 seasons, and Balderstone was at the core of the side.
In 1973 Balderstone played his first full season of cricket and jumped right to the front-rank of English batsmen, making 1,222 runs at an average of 42. He passed the 1,000-run mark in 10 of the next 12 seasons, batting either in the middle order or as an opening batsman. His runs were an important part of Leicestershire's first County Championship success in 1975, and he weighed in with 43 useful wickets in that season too.
In 1974, he top scored for his side in the Benson and Hedges final but they were defeated by Surrey. However, they did win the Sunday League, bettering their runners-up spot of two years before.
Balderstone made history on 15 September 1975 by taking part in a County Championship match and a Football League game on the same day. Balderstone was 51 not out against Derbyshire at the end of day two of Leicestershire's match at Chesterfield. After close of play he changed into his football kit to play for Doncaster Rovers in an evening match 30 miles away (a 1–1 draw with Brentford). He then returned to Chesterfield the following morning to complete a century and take three wickets to help wrap up Leicestershire's first ever County Championship title.
In 1977 Leicestershire won their last trophy in this period, a second Sunday League victory.
Among his many personal notes was in 1976 when he did the hat-trick against Sussex at Eastbourne. Five years later, against Essex at Grace Road, Leicestershire's home ground, he shared an unbroken county record second wicket stand of 289 with David Gower.
Having had a delayed cricket career, Balderstone played on for Leicestershire into his mid-40s without noticeably losing batting form or his fielding athleticism. Though he bowled less frequently from 1980 onwards, his batting helped take Leicestershire to runners up in the 1982 County Championship. He picked up a sixth and final winners' medal with a third Benson & Hedges victory in 1985. This makes him winner of the highest number of medals in the club's history. Balderstone was given a testimonial benefit season in 1984 and played on for Leicestershire until 1986.
England.
In 1976, Balderstone was called into the England Test team to make his international debut aged 35 having focused in his younger days on football. Against other international sides he might have played more Tests, for he was chosen on the strength of consistent quality performances for Leicestershire. It was his misfortune, however, to come up against the West Indies just as they were reaching that level of intimidation they were to maintain for the next two decades. Against the fearsome pace of Andy Roberts and Michael Holding he struggled, like so many other English batsmen: his four innings produced only 39 runs. He did though score 35 from sticking it out for hours at the crease on his test debut. In his second test, at a parched Oval, he encountered Michael Holding and one of the finest individual fast-bowling performances in history – Holding took 14 wickets in the test. Opposing fast bowler Vanburn Holder later said, "I played against him when we had a pretty ferocious attack and he never blinked. He had plenty of courage."
Umpire.
Balderstone moved directly into umpiring the season after he stopped playing, standing in two One Day Internationals in the mid-1990s.
Death.
Chris Balderstone died suddenly at his home in Carlisle on 6 March 2000, having suffered from prostate cancer.
Barrie Leadbeater, the umpires' chairman and a close friend, said: "He was a fine, positive player who won a lot of friends by his approach. He was a gentleman in everything he did on and off the field and his death came as a tremendous shock. He will be sadly missed. There was a refreshing honesty about everything he did and he was a true sportsman of the like we don't see today."
Vanburn Holder, like Balderstone, became an umpire and stood in Balderstone's last game as an umpire, at the St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury. Holder said: "He was a great companion, a fine umpire and an exceptional sportsman."
Honours.
Football.
Carlisle United:-
Cricket.
Leicestershire:-