Somerset hit with 12-point deduction
Somerset have been handed a 12-point deduction for next season’s County Championship after being found guilty of breaching pitch regulations.
A disciplinary panel ruled against the county over the state of the pitch for their match against Essex at Taunton in September. They had been charged after the pitch was rated “poor” due to an excessive unevenness of bounce.
Somerset needed to win to secure their maiden title. The match was affected by rain and, despite a sterling final-day effort from the hosts – whose trio of spinners claimed all 10 Essex first-innings wickets – the game was drawn. In total, 21 wickets fell in 148 overs, of which 17 were to spin.
Taunton, Somerset’s home ground, was long regarded as a batting haven but in recent years has become known as one of the grounds most conducive to spin.
Somerset spinners, including
Dom Bess and Jack Leach, who have both played for England in the past two years, have been crucial to their success, which has included being runners-up in the championship in 2016, 2018 and 2019.
The decision to punish them means Somerset begin next season on minus 12 points. This amounts to half of the potential points a team could gain by winning a match with full bonus points. Somerset’s full punishment is a 24-point deduction, with 12 suspended for two years.
A club statement said that they would “await the full report from the Cricket Discipline Commission before considering our next course of action”.