Sussex have had 24 points deducted from their final points total in the Bob Willis Trophy after seamer Mitchell Claydon was found guilty of using hand sanitiser to tamper with the ball.

Claydon was handed a nine-match ban earlier this month after he admitted to a charge of altering the condition of the ball in a loss to Middlesex in August.

Sussex themselves have admitted to breaching two directives from the ECB:

“No Participant may conduct themself in a manner or do any act or omission at any time which is improper or which may be prejudicial to the interests of cricket or which may bring the ECB, the game of cricket or any cricketer or group of cricketers into disrepute.

“Contravention of the Bob Willis Trophy Playing Conditions 5 or 41.2 … shall be regarded as (i) unfair and improper conduct; and (ii) conduct prejudicial to the interests of cricket and likely to bring the game into disrepute.”

The deduction means Sussex’s points total in the South Group drops to 12 points, leaving them 24 points behind second-last Surrey in the final standings.