CDC revise Somerset sanction ahead of remodelled LV= Insurance County Championship

The Cricket Discipline Commission (CDC) has revised Somerset County Cricket Club’s sanction for breaching the ECB Pitch Regulations.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Somerset CCC jointly requested that the CDC reconsider the points deduction imposed in view of the remodelled 2021 LV= Insurance County Championship format.

A CDC Panel subsequently determined how the sanction will apply for the 2021 LV= Insurance County Championship season, in accordance with the provisions of CDC Regulation 8.7:

• A direct eight-point penalty will apply to the group phase of the 2021 LV= Insurance County Championship; and
• If Somerset CCC commit any further breach of the Pitch Regulations in relation to the 2021 LV= Insurance County Championship, in addition to any new sanction imposed, the Panel will determine how the suspended points penalty will be applied.

All parties understand that the (currently) suspended element relating to the 2022 season will need to be revisited once the format of the 2022 LV= Insurance County Championship is known.

Somerset CCC were initially handed a 24-point deduction – of which 12 points were suspended – for breaching the ECB Pitch Regulations during their home County Championship match against Essex CCC in 2019.

In July 2020 the sanction was rolled over until the 2021 season after the County Championship was paused last summer, and the Bob Willis Trophy played instead, due to the impact of COVID-19.

When that amended sanction was issued, the CDC Panel and all parties envisaged an unchanged 14-match, two division format for the 2021 LV= Insurance County Championship. This summer’s LV= Insurance County Championship will feature 10 group-stage matches and four divisional matches for each First-Class County.