Blazing sun and Bollywood: Leicestershire docked points for poor pitch

Sept 17 - Leicestershire have been docked 27 points over the state of the pitch during a match against Glamorgan last month, with the county side's head groundsman blaming the playing conditions on a Bollywood shoot and scorching weather.

Leicestershire beat the visitors by 42 runs at Grace Road but the match referee rated the pitch as "poor" in his report. Glamorgan head coach Richard Dawson said the uneven bounce had led to batters being hit.

After a formal hearing, the independent Cricket Discipline Panel (CDP) ordered Leicestershire on Wednesday to forfeit the 19 points for the win and handed them an eight-point sanction, leaving them at the bottom of the table.

"There was a lot of circumstances leading up to the game that were just out of my control," head groundsman Callum Lewin said, according to a judgement document released by the CDP.

"The weather was 35 degrees (Celsius) and we had an unscheduled Bollywood filming event four days before. I wasn’t allowed to work on the pitch. I wasn’t allowed to cover it or anything."

Leicestershire, who have won only two of their 12 matches so far and drawn six, were also fined £5,000 ($6,700) and given an additional eight-point deduction suspended until the end of the 2027 season.

"Having received the panel’s decision, the club is reviewing its position and considering all available options," Leicestershire said in a statement. REUTERS