The Cricket Regulator has exonerated Gloucestershire from punishment for an alleged breach of pitch regulations after their Vitality County Championship Division Two match against Northamptonshire was abandoned on day one due to safety concerns.
The match, held in Bristol in August, was halted after just 65.1 overs when umpires Chris Watts and Sue Redfern deemed the hybrid pitch unsafe for batters. Northamptonshire’s Ricardo Vasconcelos and Rob Keogh were both forced to retire hurt after being struck on the hand by Gloucestershire’s Ajeet Singh Dale, with Vasconcelos suffering a fractured finger.
Northamptonshire were awarded 11 points, while Gloucestershire received none. The umpires’ statement released that day stated, “The match has been abandoned because there was a foreseeable risk to the batters. In the opinion of the umpires, it would be unreasonable to continue.”
Following a thorough investigation, The Regulator concluded that no charges would be brought against Gloucestershire at this time. However, they cautioned the county to prevent similar incidents in the future, acknowledging the umpires’ decision to prioritize player welfare.
“The Cricket Regulator was satisfied that the bounce was significantly uneven and dangerous to the players,” a statement released on Wednesday read. “The Cricket Regulator therefore fully supports the decisions taken by the match officials to abandon the match in the circumstances with which they were presented.”
Despite the Regulator’s support for the umpires’ decision, Gloucestershire expressed disappointment and reiterated their belief that the match should not have been abandoned. The lack of points also hindered their promotion aspirations.
“The Club has been significantly punished by the inability to compete for points in the match, suffering reputational damage and loss of matchday earnings in the process,” Gloucestershire said in a statement.
The Regulator acknowledged Gloucestershire’s efforts to prepare a quality pitch but emphasized the need for improvements to prevent future issues. The pitch advisor who investigated the Bristol pitch will provide support to Gloucestershire moving forward.
