Somerset's 12-point pitch penalty deferred to 2021
Jul 31, 2020
Somerset [UK], July 31 : England county cricket club Somerset's 12-point deduction, for preparing a 'poor' pitch for their County Championship decider against Essex last season, has been rolled over to 2021, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has confirmed on Friday.
A Cricket Disciplinary Commission (CDC) panel decided to push the 12-point penalty back a year, with a one-off first-class competition - the Bob Willis Trophy - being staged instead of the Championship this season, ESPNcricinfo reported.
In a rain-affected game that Somerset had to win in order to overtake Essex, 21 wickets fell in 148 overs, of which 17 were to spin, as the match ended in a draw.
According to ESPNcricinfo report, a CDC panel ruled that the pitch demonstrated "excessive unevenness of bounce" after meeting at Lord's in November, thus giving it a 'poor' rating under the ECB's pitch regulations.
The club accepted the charge at the time but contested the suggestion that the pitch was not the best they could have produced.
"The club is very disappointed with the panel's decision but has concluded that it is in the best interest of all parties to move forward," the last year's club statement read.
