News

Kirby barred after beamer

Steve Kirby, the Gloucestershire pace bowler, is in hot water with officials again after being ordered out the attack towards the end of the Championship match against Gloucestershire at Bristol

Cricinfo staff
19-Jun-2006


Steve Kirby was ordered out of the bowling attack after a beamer against Derbyshire © Martin Williamson
Steve Kirby, the Gloucestershire pace bowler, is in hot water with officials again after being ordered out the attack towards the end of the Championship match against Gloucestershire at Bristol.
Bowling the penultimate over of the game, Kirby let fly a ball that thudded into the chest of Andy Gray, the Derbyshire tail-ender. Kirby tried to apologise but Gray had already turned away, dropped his bat and ripped off a glove. Neil Mallender, the former England seamer who was officiating the match, told Jon Lewis, the Gloucestershire captain, to remove Kirby from bowling.
The two players later shook hands but Kirby will still be reported to the ECB. The Gloucestershire chief executive, Tom Richardson, told the Press Association: "Kirby was taken off under Law 42 [fair and unfair play] but I don't want to say anything else at this stage.
"The umpires have to make their report but at the moment I don't anticipate there will be much further action. Everyone knows Kirby is a whole-hearted trier who gives everything to the game."
It isn't the first time Kirby, who joined Gloucestershire from Yorkshire, has been in trouble. Last season he was found guilty of ball tampering during a match against Glamorgan at Sophia Gardens.