Derbyshire deducted eight points for a 'poor' pitch

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) today announced that the Derby pitch used for this week's PPP healthcare County Championship match between Derbyshire CCC and Surrey CCC has been classified as 'poor'. Eight championship points will be deducted from Derbyshire CCC as a result of the ruling.

The decision was taken last night by an ECB Pitch Panel at the end of the second day of the match. The panel was convened following a routine visit by the Pitch Liaison Officer, Mike Denness, on the first day of the match. The panel comprised Mike Denness and fellow Pitch Liaison Officer, David Hughes.

Mike Denness said, "Due to the undue amount of seam movement and irregular bounce, we agreed that the pitch should be classified as 'poor'. In accordance with the guidelines for rating pitches, there was no doubt that the pitch should therefore be deducted the eight points."