In a surprising turn of events, the Vitality County Championship Second Division match between Gloucestershire and Northamptonshire was abandoned due to serious safety concerns regarding the pitch. Umpires Chris Watts and Sue Redfern made the decision after Northants batters Ricardo Vasconcelos and Rob Keogh were struck on the hand by Gloucestershire paceman Ajeet Singh Dale, prompting immediate retirements from the game.
Safety Concerns Prompt Early Abandonment
The match was called off at 5 PM, with Northamptonshire at 116 for 2 in response to Gloucestershire’s total of 125 runs. The umpires consulted with both team captains before leading the players off the field. Following this, they held discussions with match referee Jason Swift and sought advice from ECB pitch inspectors at Lord’s, ultimately deciding that continuing play posed an unreasonable risk to the players.
In a statement, the umpires explained, “The match has been abandoned because there was a foreseeable risk to the batters. In the opinion of the umpires, it would be unreasonable to continue.” This decision comes after Vasconcelos was taken to the hospital with a suspected broken finger, underscoring the serious nature of the injuries sustained.
Gloucestershire’s Struggles on the Hybrid Pitch
Earlier in the week, Gloucestershire had a stellar performance, scoring over 500 runs against Leicestershire on a neighboring pitch. However, they struggled significantly in this match, being bowled out for just 125 runs in 36.1 overs. The hybrid pitch, which had previously been used successfully in a match against Middlesex, proved to be a different challenge this time around.
Justin Broad, stepping in for the rested pace spearheads Ben Sanderson and Jack White, delivered a remarkable bowling performance, taking 7 wickets for just 33 runs. His efforts severely hampered Gloucestershire’s innings, as only Ollie Price managed to score over 50 runs, finishing with 52.
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Impact on the Teams and Future Investigations
As a result of the abandonment, Northamptonshire will receive 11 points for the draw, including three bowling bonus points, while Gloucestershire will receive none. The situation has raised questions about whether Gloucestershire will face any further sanctions, as the matter has been referred to the Cricket Regulator for investigation.
Gloucestershire released a statement acknowledging the unfortunate circumstances and expressing their intent to review the match referee’s report before making further comments. They stated, “Whilst we acknowledge that this is not something anyone would have wanted to happen, we need to see, understand and discuss the match referee’s report before making further comment on the decision.”
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