An independent Cricket Discipline Panel has hit Hampshire with an eight-point penalty and a £5,000 fine after ruling that the Utilita Bowl surface used against Sussex in May was “below average”. The decision drops Hampshire from fifth to eighth in Division One, leaving them only six points clear of the relegation places with two Championship rounds to play.
The match in question, staged from 23-25 May, ended in a nine-wicket win for Sussex as off-spinner Jack Carson ran through the second innings with 5 for 26. Umpires Rob White and Tom Lungley, together with match referee Wayne Noon, reported the pitch for inconsistent bounce and, from day two onward, exaggerated turn. The Cricket Regulator investigated, the case went before the panel on 2 September, and Thursday’s written judgement confirmed the sanctions.
Ben Brown, the Hampshire captain, pulled no punches in his report. “I was really disappointed with the surface that had been prepared by head grounds manager, Simon Lee,” he wrote. “Batting on it was a lottery. We wanted a good batting wicket so that we could optimise batting points, but we also wanted a pitch that would bring our spinner, Liam Dawson, into the game, when foot holes became a factor.”
Sussex head coach Paul Farbrace accepted that spin was always likely to play a part on a used strip but felt Hampshire mis-calculated. “It was not in their interest to deliberately plan an uneven pitch,” Farbrace told the panel. “They have excellent fast bowlers, and would have expected to win with their seam attack. This is not an example of a home side deliberately cheating … the pitch was set up for spin, and I saw a cloud of dust when the hover cover went off. But the pitch was too dry, and I note the fact that they decided to re-use a pitch not that long after using it before.”
The panel agreed in essence, stressing that Hampshire had not sought an unfair advantage but were nevertheless responsible for an “inadequate” surface. That, under ECB regulations, means a minimum of eight penalty points, invariably enough to destabilise any season.
As things stand, Hampshire’s tally is 124, Durham’s 118. Gloucestershire are already condemned, yet the second relegation spot is very much alive. Hampshire’s run-in—a trip to Taunton followed by a home fixture against champions-elect Surrey—looks awkward, particularly with white-ball commitments competing for resources. They are still alive in both limited-overs competitions, having booked T20 Finals Day and the Metro Bank One-Day Cup final against Worcestershire. Head coach Adi Birrell, due to step down at season’s end, admits the balancing act is “far from ideal”, though he has not spoken publicly since the deduction.
Weather is hardly helping either. The return game at Hove has been badly rain-hit: only two days of play so far, and those left Hampshire needing nine wickets while Sussex require 241 more runs. Further showers have been forecast.
The club has seven days to appeal, but early indications are that an appeal is unlikely. Privately, officials accept the verdict and are instead focusing on hauling themselves to safety on the field. On recent form that is not impossible—before the ruling they had won two of their last three Championship matches—but the margin for error has disappeared.
County chairs will watch closely. Pitch penalties remain rare, yet with fixture congestion and drier springs, grounds staff are increasingly stretched. One top-flight director of cricket, speaking on background, described the case as “a warning shot for everyone”.
For Hampshire, the arithmetic is straightforward enough even if the task is not: out-score Durham by seven points over the next fortnight or prepare for Division Two.
