Ball tampering

[Rachael]

I didn't actually suggest there were more drawn matches NE.. merely that the bowlers these days rarely actually "get" (as opposed to "get given") 20 wickets. I'm not going to dispute that there are some great spells of attacking bowling to be witnessed these days, and that there are still some stern tests out there that ensure, in Milo's words, "the cream rises to the top".

I'm not averse to cricket being played on batsman friendly pitches... as the last thing cricket needs is a ridiculous extreme in which great bowlers (capable of adapting to whatever is required) are almost indistinguishable from very ordinary bowlers. My point was more like that Milo makes: that it's just as bad going to the extreme we have at the moment where great batsmen find it hard to distinguish themselves from the also rans.

[Zainub]

Interesting discussion to follow this. Just posted to say there was a thread started by OF on same topic some time back, link as follows:

http://world-a-team.com/showthread.php?t=2878

[Occasional Fan]

I was a bit slow picking this one up, but Surrey is certainly taking this seriously and is investigating with the objective of identifying the tamperer(s). A fine or ban by the club is specifically ruled in by Surrey's chief executive, Paul Sheldon, in the interview with BBC Radio Five Live, which is linked from this page at BBC News.

[Teatime FatCat]

Glamorgan are now accusing Gloucestershire's Steve 'Choirboy' Kirby of ball tampering, by rubbing the ball on the surface of the carpark!?!?!?!?!?

[Occasional Fan]

Which Gloucestershire deny. The umpires were aware of damage to the ball, but said they could not tell whether that was caused by the ball's initial striking of the car park when it went for six. No action was taken.

[Zainub]

What are these team's doing, playing cat or mouse? Doesn't sound like cricket to me...

[Occasional Fan]

Following the ball tampering incident which started this thread, it has just been announced that Surrey has been deducted eight points in the championship with a further nine points suspended (i.e. they will be deducted in the event of a similar infraction being admitted or proved before 31 May 2006). Personal responsibility has not been assigned.

Here is the statement.

Clearly the ECB and Surrey view this seriously. Interestingly, CMJ, who is speaking on the radio right now, seems not to. That surprises me a bit.

[Occasional Fan]

Gloucestershire's Steve Kirby was found guilty of ball tampering in the match against Glamorgan. He has received a three match ban, suspended until 30 September 2005, and was ordered to pay £125 costs. Despite the ECB's comments linked below, I wonder if they are really taking this as seriously as they should.

ECB report here.

[Mongoose]

The ECB cite as the reason for leniency that Kirby's actions didn;t actually materially alter the condition of the ball. So he's a crap tamperer - the intention is the same, and they should have thrown the book at him. It's cheating.

[Mongoose]

I've never been keen on Kirby - too much mouth, not enough quality when I've seen him play. He's one player I'd happily see branded with the name somone applied to Peter Roebuck on the other thread. It's a certain part of a woman's body. Nuff said.