Leicestershire Cricket Club have been docked 27 points and handed GBP 5,000 fine for breaching pitch regulations in their victory over Glamorgan from August 20 to 23. According to BBC, Callum Lewin, Leicestershire’s groundsman, had argued that filming of an unscheduled Bollywood film had taken place at the ground four days before the match, preventing the pitch from being covered for eight hours in bright sunshine.
Leicestershire won the match at Uptonsteel Grace Road by 42 runs. However, in a full written judgment, match referee Ian Ramage logged 43 examples of uneven bounce in the match. The independent Cricket Discipline Panel upheld the Cricket Regulator’s charge against Leicestershire for breaching the ECB Pitch Regulations, with the pitch rated as ‘poor’.
The Regulator acknowledged Leicestershire would not have deliberately created a pitch to bounce so unevenly but noted that ‘each of these factors presented foreseeable risks that should have informed part of the planning and preparation process.’
In a statement, Leicestershire County Cricket Club said: “The club notes the Cricket Discipline Panel’s decision, which imposes an eight-point deduction, an additional eight-point deduction suspended until the end of the 2027 season, and a financial penalty of £5,000.
“Under ECB Rothesay County Championship Playing Condition 16.2.6, the 19 points earned in the match concerned will also be deducted from Leicestershire CCC’s 2026 Rothesay County Championship total. Accordingly, the club will lose 27 points overall.”
The club stated that it is reviewing its current position and considering all available options.
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