Somerset will not appeal "poor" pitch points deduction

A statement from the club said that after an "exhaustive review of the relevant appeal procedures" the decision has been taken to forgo any appeal

Somerset have stated that the club will not appeal the Cricket Discipline Commission Panel’s decision to hand out 24-point penalty – with 12 of those points suspended for two years – as punishment for the pitch prepared at Taunton for the county’s final 2019 County Championship fixture against Essex.

As a result, Somerset will begin their 2020 County Championship campaign on -12 points.

A statement from the club said that after an “exhaustive review of the relevant appeal procedures” the decision has been taken to forgo any appeal against the initial decision.

“This conclusion has been reached because it is clear that, in order to overturn the decision, the Club would have to demonstrate conclusively to the Panel who originally implemented the sanctions that they had come to the wrong decision.

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“Such a heavy burden of proof is extremely difficult for any appellant to discharge.

“The club are very disappointed with the Panel’s decision but has concluded that it is in the best interest of all parties to move forward.

“We can now focus on preparing the team and the venue for the demands of the season ahead, with a specific focus on performing successfully, with a highly talented and competitive group of players and a clear focus on developing broader strategies to support this objective through our teams off the field.

“The club notes the strong message the Panel ruling sends to all first-class counties.

“There will be no further comment on this matter.”

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