Leicestershire to appeal 27-point pitch deduction

Leicestershire will appeal the 27-point deduction and £5,000 fine imposed for preparing a poor pitch in their August County Championship match against Glamorgan. The independent Cricket Discipline Panel ruled the pitch at Grace Road was substandard after 43 instances of uneven bounce were recorded during the four-day fixture. Leicestershire won the match by 42 runs but forfeited all 19 points earned from the victory.

A Bollywood film shoot for the Sourav Ganguly biopic took place at Grace Road four days before the Glamorgan fixture, preventing the pitch from being covered for eight hours in bright sunshine. The Cricket Discipline Panel acknowledged the disruption but dismissed it as a mitigating factor. The sanction also includes an additional eight-point deduction and a further eight-point penalty suspended until the end of the 2027 season.

Leicestershire have instructed sports law barrister Craig Harris to represent them in the appeal, which must be lodged by September 29. The club has confirmed it respects the Cricket Discipline Panel process but has serious concerns about the decision and sanctioning procedure. The deduction dropped Leicestershire to the bottom of Division One.