Kent's Sam Billings accepts level one breach after contesting Jason Roy run-out: "I was pretty calm"

The wicket-keeper was convinced he had his fellow England international run-out on two occasions - and showed his frustration to the umpires during the T20 Blast quarter-final

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Kent captain Sam Billings has been hit with a level one breach of the ECB Directives for his actions during the T20 Blast quarter-final defeat to Surrey at The Kia Oval.

The 29-year-old wicket-keeper appeared to have stumped the hosts' opener Jason Roy in the 13th over, only for the umpires to turn the appeals down.

Billings took exception to the decision, the second run-out plea which went against the Spitfires during the Surrey innings, throwing the ball on the turf in frustration.

Standing umpires Martin Saggers and Nick Cook then addressed the England international, with Billings later revealing he had been hit with a level one breach of the ECB's disciplinary code.

But given this is the first time Billings has broken the regulations, he has avoided any penalty points being added to his record. An accumulation of nine or more over a 24-month period can lead to an automatic suspension.

Roy was dismissed via the next delivery from Imran Qayyum for 56 but the damage had already been done, with Surrey putting on 114 for the first wicket before going on to set Kent 170 to win, thanks to opener Hashim Amla's unbeaten 73.

It was a task that proved too great for Billings' side, who will now have to watch from the sidelines come Finals Day.

"Because I'm a good boy it's my first one so no points or anything," he told the media. "It's a quarter-final, you've got two international batsmen going at 10-an-over, you're the captain and it is a decision that you feel has gone completely the opposite way. 

"I'm not saying I reacted dreadfully but I accept a level one absolutely. We're all human at the end of the day.

"Jason Roy is a world-class wicket to pick up. Thankfully he got out next ball so it didn't actually matter. But we're trying to win a game of cricket. 

"It is small margins in this game and at the end of the day that was it. I was pretty calm! I haven't seen the first one but the second one was definitely out."

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