CricketTWO players have been banned for a combined total of 20 matches in some of the toughest punishments meted out by a leading cricket league.Mark Sproats of St Margaret's has been banned for 12 matches for his part in an incident in a game against Dedham in the Marshall Hatchick Two Counties Championship.

Cricket

TWO players have been banned for a combined total of 20 matches in some of the toughest punishments meted out by a leading cricket league.

Mark Sproats of St Margaret's has been banned for 12 matches for his part in an incident in a game against Dedham in the Marshall Hatchick Two Counties Championship.

And Paul Allen, captain of St Margaret's 2nd XI, has been banned for eight matches for his involvement in the incident in the Division Eight match at Dedham on August 11. Both bans will be effective from the start of the 2008 season.

The Two Counties disciplinary committee, headed by Mick Thew, also issued St Margaret's CC with a formal reprimand and a warning as to the future conduct of their players.

Sproats, who was banned from playing for the club by Ipswich side St Margaret's for the remainder of the season, has since left the club after being told his membership would not be renewed.

Witham's Richard Green has been banned for four matches, effective from the start of the 2008 season, for an incident in the Division Two match against Abberton on August 25.

Peter Allen, the captain of Witham, was found not guilty of any breach of the code of conduct, although Witham were reprimanded and given a warning as to the future conduct of their players.

Colin Kelly, who plays for Wivenhoe, has been banned for two matches from the start of next season following an incident in the Division Five game against Little Bardfield on August 4. Wivenhoe's Simon Lucking was found not guilty of any breaches of discipline.

Brockley's Stuart Hill was banned for six matches, which he has already served, and told to write to Worlingworth CC apologising for his behaviour in a Division Three match on June 9.

Brockley skipper Stuart Fisher was banned for four matches, suspended for one year, for his part in the incident and the club were reprimanded and warned as to the future conduct of their players and members. No action was taken against Worlingworth or their captain Kevin Wright.

Norman Atkins, chairman of the Two Counties Championship, had reported at the league's AGM that for the first time last season there had been incidents of two sides refusing to play during the course of matches, and that both results were declared as a loss by the side refusing to play in accordance with the Laws of Cricket.

Atkins said yesterday: “We view all these incidents with grave concern and clubs are asked to remind all their players of the approved Code of Conduct and the penalties involved if any player breaches it.”