Middlesex director of cricket Angus Fraser
Middlesex director of cricket Angus Fraser

Middlesex to discuss two-point penalty with ECB


Middlesex plan to discuss the two-point penalty they received against Surrey with the ECB after it effectively led to their relegation from Specsavers County Championship Division One.

The 2016 champions went down on a dramatic final day after they were thrashed by Somerset at Taunton and Hampshire scraped a draw at Warwickshire.

Those results left Middlesex seventh, a point behind Somerset and two behind Yorkshire and Hampshire, all of whom stayed up.

However, Middlesex director of cricket Angus Fraser is unhappy that a two-point deduction received for a slow over rate at the Kia Oval has effectively cost them their top-flight status, as the incident occurred on a day when play had to be abandoned an hour early after a crossbow was fired onto the outfield.

"We're raising the matter with the ECB," Fraser told BBC London 94.9.

Middlesex were behind the required over rate when a crossbow bolt fired from outside the ground landed 10 yards from the pitch, prompting the umpires to usher the Middlesex batsmen and Surrey fielders inside.

Fraser says Middlesex were told at the time that that they would not be punished when play was abandoned in the last session of the final day.

"All of a sudden there's police running around the dressing rooms and you think there's more important things to do than hassling the umpires and you respect their position," he said.

"But all the information we had when we left the ground was that we were not going to lose the points. To suddenly find out that we do further down the line is pretty gut-wrenching."

Middlesex chief executive Richard Goatley revealed that the club had been told there was no right of appeal regarding the ruling to deduct points.

"We have been advised that since the ECB has chosen to follow the published playing conditions in this instance, there is no scope for any further appeal," he added.

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