Worcestershire handed two-point penalty

In July this year, during Worcestershire's T20 Blast fixture against Durham at Chester-le-Street, umpire Steve O'Shaughnessy conducted an at random on-field "bat gauge" test to ensure the equipment being used was of the appropriate size.

Batter Josh Cobb's bat was found to not fit through the umpire's gauge, failing the test. This was before he had faced a delivery. Further tests carried out at the end of the day, after the bat was confiscated, saw it fail again.

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Cobb accepted the transgression he had committed, but it was acknowledged by the CDC that he had not intended to cheat or deceive. He was found to be in violation of the Professional Conduct Regulations (PCRs), and as a result Worcestershire were handed a two-point penalty in the T20 Blast.

By the time the judgement arrived, the club had played all of their fixtures in the current season. Therefore, with the deduction being of no consequence to this season's campaign, two points were to be deducted from Worcestershire's tally in the 2025 season.

A similar case came earlier this summer when Essex were penalised 12 points in the County Championship after Feroze Khushi's bat failed multiple gauge tests. As the season was still on when the judgment arrived, it was effective immediately, and virtually put them out of the race for the title. A difference between the two cases is that by the point of Khushi's test, he had used the bat in question in both innings. Cobb, on the other hand, was yet to face a delivery when his on-field test was conducted.

Why Worcestershire's points penalty was suspended

In Worcestershire's case, however, their points deduction has now been suspended. The club appealed the decision on two main grounds – first, that the investigation and adjudication could have been completed during the duration of the T20 Blast. This was rejected.

The second argument they made runs as follows.

"Being docked points next year potentially/effectively puts a club of our size, with our resources, out of contention for qualification to the later rounds in 2025. This has an impact on next year’s squad, coaching team, sponsors and, therefore, the club’s finances. This impact is potentially devastating to us and is disproportionate."

Taking this into account, adjudicator Chris Tickle agreed to suspend the two-point deduction indefinitely.

"Given those circumstances, I am persuaded that it is in the interests of justice to review my decision to this effect, namely that the deduction of 2 points in the T20 Blast competition for the 2025 season stands, but implementation of that deduction is suspended, such suspension being dependent on there being no further breach of Regulation 5.1 of the PCRs prior to the end of that season."

This suspension of the penalty is unlikely to go down well with those associated with Essex. Chairman Keith Fletcher had already labelled the ECB "absolutely stupid" for the club's points deduction earlier this month. The club could also perhaps make the argument that their 12-point penalty had a larger impact on their campaign than a two-point penalty is likely to have on Worcestershire's next year.

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