The player was accused of assaulting the official – who was also a fellow player in the match – after his lbw appeal was turned down during a league match in the New Forest. The game was abandoned and the umpire is said to have lost a tooth.

The player in question, Jason Ford of Fawley CC, has now been banned for 17 matches by the Hampshire Cricket League, putting him out of action until July 2019.

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League chairman Denis Emery told Southampton’s Daily Echo:  “He had never been in trouble before. If he had he would have received a lifetime ban – and quite rightly so.”

A police investigation into the incident is ongoing, with the offending player’s club having said at the time that: “The individual involved was immediately suspended by the committee pending a full disciplinary meeting.

“The club have contacted the Hampshire Cricket League chairman to report the incident and are working on providing an accurate statement of events to the League Disciplinary Committee.

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“The club cannot comment any further while there is an ongoing police investigation.”

The news followed a swell of concern about standards of behaviour in club cricket, with events like this a clear threat to the health of the game at grassroots level.