Essex’s slim hopes of profitable the Vitality County Championship seem to have been dashed after one in every of their gamers was docked 12 factors for utilizing an outsized bat.
Opener Feroze Khushi failed the free-bat spec take a look at within the second innings of their Division One match towards Nottinghamshire in April, with Essex ending on 254 Rating 20 factors after profitable.
Nevertheless, a dozen of these circumstances have now been canceled after the Cricket Disciplinary Committee (CDC) concluded that Khushi (who scored 18 and 32 runs) used a bat wider than the ten.8cm allowed at Trent Bridge.
The choice by the CDC, which arbitrates breaches and is impartial of the England and Wales Cricket Board, leaves Essex 56 factors behind leaders Surrey with simply two video games remaining within the present spherical.
Essex President Keith Fletcher informed the occasions Tuesday: “Feroze does not imagine he did something unsuitable and the entire group was punished, not only one participant.
“As a batsman I do know that just a few millimeters will not make any distinction to efficiency both method. The umpires are randomly testing the bats and I feel the ECB are completely silly.”
Essex appealed the preliminary ruling over “considerations about inconsistent compliance of the bat gauges,” however was rejected by a separate CDC panel.
“Essex CCC regrets the result and, whereas dissatisfied with the enchantment determination and subsequent sanction, accepts the CDC panel’s costs,” a membership assertion learn.
“In mild of the considerations raised in the course of the enchantment, the membership will write to the CDC, cricket’s governing our bodies and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to formally spotlight the problems that arose throughout this course of, for instance in relation to bat metering .
“Essex CCC hopes these considerations will immediate motion to deal with the inconsistencies and enhance equity and transparency in future regulatory processes.”
In 2022, Durham dropped 10 factors because of an identical infringement by Nic Maddinson, whereas within the One-Day Cup in the identical season, because of Matty Mai Derby County have been deducted two factors after Mattie McKiernan’s bat was deemed to be over the allowed measurement.
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