Worcestershire receive suspended penalty for Josh Cobb's illegal bat usage
English County side Worcestershire have been handed a suspended two-point deduction for the upcoming Vitality Blast season. This penalty comes after their all-rounder, Josh Cobb, was found to have used an illegally-sized bat in a North Group match against Durham in July. Cobb acknowledged violating ECB Directives 3.2 and 3.3 when his bat failed to pass a bat-gauge test during the game, despite not having faced a delivery at that point. Here's more.
Penalty revised on appeal
The Cricket Discipline Commission (CDC) initially imposed a direct points deduction on Worcestershire for Cobb's violation. However, this penalty was revised to a suspended one upon appeal. The revised penalty will only be enforced if Worcestershire commits another similar violation in the future. This incident marks the second time a county cricket team has been penalized this summer for using an oversized bat.
Essex faced similar penalty earlier
In a similar incident, Essex was penalized with a 12-point deduction last month in the County Championship. This penalty was due to Feroz Khushi's violation of the regulations during their season opener against Nottinghamshire in April. The club's president, Keith Fletcher, criticized the verdict as "stupid," arguing that it undermined their chances of competing for the County Championship.
Worcestershire's appeal highlights potential impact
Worcestershire expressed their disappointment at the initial verdict in their appeal. They argued that losing two points could be the difference between advancing to the Vitality Blast knockouts or facing early elimination. The club stated, "Being docked points next year potentially/effectively puts a club of our size, with our resources, out of contention for qualification to the later rounds in 2025."
Adjudicator revises decision in interest of justice
In response to Worcestershire's appeal, adjudicator Chris Tickle revised his decision. He stated, "Given those circumstances, I am persuaded that it is in the interest of justice to review my decision." Dave Lewis, the interim director of the Cricket Regulator, expressed satisfaction with the outcome and noted this as the second oversized bat case this year.
Worcestershire signed Josh Cobb earlier this year
Back in January 2024, Worcestershire signed Cobb to strengthen their white-ball sides for 2024. As per ESPNcricinfo, Cobb was released early from his contract with Northamptonshire after losing the T20 captaincy at short notice. Cobb was also frozen out from their first team in the second half of last season. He signed an initial one-year deal which covers the Vitality Blast and the Metro Bank Cup.
