CRICKET: Penalty 'too harsh' says Kingston skipper

9:02pm Wednesday 30th September 2009 in Headlines Photograph of the Author By Mike Knox, Deputy Sports Editor. Call me on 01865 425457

Kingston Bagpuize captain Dave Pearce says his club have been harshly punished following The Oxford Times Cherwell League's disciplinary hearing on Tuesday into a clash between Rob Keates and Wolverton’s Hakim Khan.

The final Division 3 match of the season on Saturday, September 5 had to be temporarily halted following a flare-up between the two players.

Wolverton batsman Khan was alleged to have thrown punches at Keates following remarks made when he was dismissed.

Keates was banned for eight weeks, with four suspended, while his skipper Pearce received a suspended six-week ban.

Bagpuize were docked 25 points and handed a suspended £100 fine.

Khan was banned for three years, two of which were suspended, and his captain, Andy Gosling, was banned for six weeks, four of which were suspended.

Wolverton were docked 50 points and handed a £200 suspended fine.

The points deductions will apply to the 2010 league campaign.

“Basically, the club and our player have been hammered for one swear word,” said Pearce, who said that the only charge against them was one of swearing.

“If the league are now going to clamp down on swearing, and players learn from this, it will be a good thing for cricket.

“But I doubt if that will happen, and feel we have been harshly treated.

“If the Wolverton player had not reacted in the way that he did, we would not have been punished at all. I thought he would have received more than what is in effect a one-year ban.

“When you compare the two charges it seems unfair that we've been docked 25 points and Woverton only 50.”

Pearce, who revealed he would not be standing as captain next season, said that Kingston were considering whether to appeal against the punishments.

Wolverton chairman Roger Garrini said the club did not have any comment to make at this stage.

Comments(12)

black socks says...
11:18pm Wed 30 Sep 09

Hammered for "one swear word".. do us a favour Dave! Nobody lashes out after having one swear word said against you. As for appealing the decision..I didnt think that was allowed in the Cherwell League.

wind-toll(defo hot air!)

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number1 says...
6:28am Thu 1 Oct 09

It might have been only 'one swear word' but how many times was it used I wonder?

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nagginglength says...
9:32am Thu 1 Oct 09

I have not seen any official statement from the league but from someone who was there (but not very close to the action), I think that it was more the timing of the comments, i.e. immediately after the batsman was clean bowled rather than any question of frequency. Not the most sensitive moment for anyone to pass a critical comment to a batsman let alone an opposition player.

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Cowcorner says...
10:38am Thu 1 Oct 09

Mr Pearce is coming across as rather 2-faced in this whole affair. What exactly does he expect to happen when his 1st slip is standing there telling an 18 year old lad that he is F*****g S**t (2 swear words by the way). It is just as easy to say the Wolverton player would not have reacted if this had never been said. He obviously thinks this is an acceptable way to play cricket.
Not for one moment do I condone the actions of Mr Khan and I think a years ban is fully warranted and I hope he really learns his lesson from this and can change his attitude.

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Phil J says...
11:39am Thu 1 Oct 09

A very balanced opinion Mr Cowcorner. The young lad does need to learn, and he will do it the hard way. It is a sad fact that people will always find it in themselves to be abusive and it was a big game so perhaps that also exaggerated his reaction to the disproportionate level that apparently occured. I suspect both parties feel remorseful now that the punishment has come through.

Maybe next year we can have a season where the teams let their cricket do the talking rather than their gobs or their fists, and all will remember that it really is just a bit of fun and exercise

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Cowcorner says...
12:42pm Thu 1 Oct 09

I am with you there Phil, whatever happened to the subtle comment here or there, or the real laugh out loud moment that we used to get? It is a dying art and a real shame that the neanderthals seem to be taking over.

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N D Know says...
6:20pm Thu 1 Oct 09

Seems the CL Exec got things about right for once! Gather Ricksy chaired the hearing - there's an old boy who did know how to take the mick in a friendly way. Perhaps he should be asked to run a course on subtle p**s taking?

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Finlandia says...
10:27pm Thu 1 Oct 09

Ok then - let's try and resurect the dying art of fun sledges from the Cherwell.

Brickhill bowler to me after bowling inswing for ages then beating me with an outswinger

"yep - and I can do it both ways"

me

"yep, thats what your friend Geoffrey told us this morning"

Not great, but ok!!


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NeverTurns says...
1:14pm Fri 2 Oct 09

The match in questions was being handled by two relatively inexperienced umpires, one of whom was being assessed, who maybe had not come across this type of 'sledging'. Having spoken to a couple of 'more experienced' umpires they both said that they would not have allowed the situation to have developed in the first place. The time has come to crack down on all swearing, on the cricket pitch, if it is directed at other players of either team (even 'team mates' fall out). Punishment should be deduction of runs for each offence and I bet people would think before 'speaking'! As a point of interest I would be interested in what the assessors report said.

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15 Points Who Gives a says...
4:25pm Fri 2 Oct 09

What a shocking call this is ,Keatesy and Dave are decent blokes and the penalty for them and Kingston is a joke ,as for the fella who punched Keatsey ,well he deserves everything he gets.If you can't have a word any more what sort of game are we playing, oh yes 'Hockey'!!!!!!!!
If the batter cant' take some chat i suggest he finds something else to do with his time ,i guess he will have time to try something now.

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cleverswindler says...
5:17pm Fri 2 Oct 09

Hard to comment on this particular incident, because I like most of us weren't actually there.
Cricket does need to start cleaning up it's act though, swearing and mindless abuse is becoming all to commonplace.
If Rob Keates is such a decent bloke, then his club will have to appeal, but I can't see them getting very far.

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Cowcorner says...
8:43pm Fri 2 Oct 09

15 points, you are a sad man if you think that is acceptable.

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