Lindisfarne thrown out of TCA first grade final

Leading Hobart grade cricket club Lindisfarne has been dismissed from this weekend's Tasmanian Cricket Asssociation (TCA) first grade final before a ball has even been bowled.

The eastern shore club, which is the home of current Tasmanian captain Jamie Cox and all-rounder Shane Watson, was found by a TCA pennant committee on Monday night to have been guilty of the charge of not properly protecting its pitch in the lead-up to last weekend's semi-final match against New Town.

The committee upheld New Town's appeal that Lindisfarne had used inadequate covering to protect the wicket square at its ground from rain on Friday night and Saturday morning. There was no play in the ultimately abandoned match, which was originally scheduled to have been contested over both days of the weekend.

It now means that New Town (which finished fourth at the end of the roster season) displaces Lindisfarne (first) from its grand final berth against South Hobart-Sandy Bay, which won the other semi-final match against North Hobart. New Town is also the home of a number of state squad members - pace bowlers Damien Wright and Andrew Downton, all-rounder Scott Kremerskothen and wicketkeeper Sean Clingeleffer the best known.

Lindisfarne, which maintains it did everything in its power to make its ground fit for play, has not discounted the prospect of taking legal action against the decision.