Date: 29th Mar 2024
L&DCC is not responsible for Third Party websites

DISCIPLINARY HEARING - PANEL DECISIONS

Date: 8th September 2017

The hearing was arranged following a complaint from Merseyside Social & Cultural CC of abusive behaviour towards umpires by Birchfield Park 1 in the match on August 12th.

The Panel comprised Richard McCullagh (Chairman), John Isterling (Northop Hall CC) and Mike Lowe (Sefton Park CC).  Also present Neil Bickley (L&DCC Disciplinary Representative)

Several members of both teams answered questions about their written accounts.  There was some agreement about incidents which occurred during the match and the Disciplinary Panel considered these in reaching its decisions.

The match ended when Merseyside Social & Cultural umpires and batsmen left the field and did not return.

The Panel Chairman, Richard McCullagh, gave the decisions as follows.

Refusing to complete a match is behaviour which cannot be condoned in such circumstances and the MSC captain Linz Aiynattu should have made his players continue. For failing in this and also not ensuring that the end of match formalities were carried out he is banned for one week to commence at the start of the 2018 season with a second week suspended to the end of the 2018 season.

The MSC umpire, Saju Joseph, is banned for one week commencing at midnight Friday 8 September with another week suspended until the end of the 2018 season.

MSC CC will be fined £20 fro conceding the match in accordance with the Playing Regulations and in addition a fine of £50 will be suspended until the end of the 2018 season.  This fine will apply should MSC again refuse to play.

Birchfield Park CC's attitude to 'sledging' as apparent from various players' accounts is completely unacceptable and the club must take steps to ensure all its players are made aware of what is not acceptable.

Mark Corbett had already been banned for one week by BFP CC but the panel also imposed a further weeks suspended to the end of 2018 season.  BFP CC is thanked for taking this action.

Calum Kelly is banned for one week commencing at midnight Friday 8 September with another week suspended until the end of the 2018 season.

BFP CC is to be fined £200, suspended to the end of the 2018 season if it is found guilty of unacceptable abuse of umpires again.

Summing up the Chairman issued a warning to all clubs that such abuse of umpires will not be tolerated.  Whilst it is appreciated that neutral umpires cannot be provided by the L&DCC for 2nd and 3rd XI matches all players must respect the decisions of umpires at this level whether good or bad.

The Panel and Neil Bickley are thanked for their good work and attendance.

Eric Hadfield - L&DCC Disciplinary Secretary

Back to top