Barnsley umpiring legend Dickie Bird pays tribute to the 'idol' Shane Warne on day of state memorial

The legendary cricket umpire Dickie Bird has paid tribute to the "idol" Shane Warne on the day of his state memorial service in Australia.

Crowds gathered at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia to remember the former leg-spinner, who died earlier this month aged 52 from a suspected heart attack while on holiday in Koh Samui, Thailand.

Bird, from Barnsley, was umpire on the day Warne bowled his first ball for Australia in England, an extraordinary delivery which took the wicket of a bemused Mike Gatting.

The delivery would later be voted the 'Ball of the Century'.

Fans lay flowers at the statue of Shane Warne outside the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Credit: AP

Now 88, Bird told ITV News he couldn't believe what he was watching.

He said: "He came back to me and says, 'what do you reckon mate?' And I said 'I'm stunned'. What a delivery!

"I said to him, 'young man, because I'd never met him before, you will put your name in the record books'.

"He looked at me and he said, 'do you think so Dickie?' I said, 'yes I'm sure'.

Shane Warne's Ashes debut will be remembered for the 'ball of the century' Credit: Owen Humphreys/PA Archive

"And every time he used to see me after that he used to bow down to me.

"He said 'I'll never forget those words Dickie as long as I live'."

Sir Elton John and Ed Sheeran lead tributes at Shane Warne memorial service

Warne is regarded as one of the greatest cricketers of all time.

He retired with a then-world record 708 wickets in 145 Tests, which has since been surpassed by Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan, and recorded a further 293 one-day international wickets, helping Australia to 1999 World Cup glory.

When asked if he thought there would ever be another cricketer like Shane Warne Dickie said: "No, I don't think you ever will do. From that day we became very, very good friends and as I say I'm very sad that I've lost a friend.

"There will never be another Shane Warne. Great man - enjoyed his cricket, lived life to the full, but great man, great bloke."Tributes were paid to Warne at the memorial service by Sir Elton John, Kylie Minogue, Hugh Jackman and Warne's former Australian captains Mark Taylor and Allan Border.