Cricketer abusing spectator

Gloucestershire batter Miles Hammond has been charged with abusing a spectator during a T20 Blast match between Somerset and Gloucestershire at the County Ground, Taunton, on July 7.

The Cricket Regulator, the body "responsible for monitoring compliance with the game's regulations, enforcement of adherence to those regulations and providing relevant information and education", made an announcement today (August 6), charging the 28-year-old Hammond "with a breach of Section 3.2.3 of the Professional Conduct Regulations" for an incident during a T20 Blast match between Somerset and Gloucestershire on July 7.

Section 3 of the Professional Conduct Regulations deals with the conduct and behaviour of players in county cricket. Article 3.2.3 categorises "using language that, in the circumstances, is obscene, offensive, insulting or seriously insulting, making an obscene or seriously insulting gesture or engaging in any similar conduct" as unfair and improper. 

While no other details of the incident were revealed in the release, it added that "the charge will be considered in due course by the independent Cricket Discipline Commission" and that "no further comment will be made until the case is concluded".

The match in question was played a month back, in Taunton. Gloucestershire had put Somerset into bat, who scored 194-6 from their 20 overs, before the visitors chased it down with a ball and five wickets to spare. Hammond made 42 off 32 opening the batting for Gloucestershire.

The left-handed Hammond made his senior professional debut in 2013, and has played 71 first-class, 17 List A, and 108 T20 games for Gloucestershire, averaging 32.5, 31.9, and 21.8 respectively.

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