Northants appeal turned down

Northamptonshire have lost their appeal against having eight points deducted for producing a poor pitch in their top-of-the-table clash with Worcestershire at the end of this season.

Northants won the match by 92 runs, but it wasn't enough to clinch the Division Two title after Ben Smith, Worcestershire's captain, had earlier declared eight wickets down to deny Northants the extra bonus point they needed. Worcestershire took the title with a margin of 0.75 points, but which now reads 8.75.

Then the ECB pitch inspectors heaped further misery on Northants after they decreed that the wicket "demonstrated undue assistance to spin bowlers, especially early in the match". And the club's attempt to overturn the punishment was yesterday turned down by a three-man panel at the ECB.

Northants will suffer a 12-point penalty if they prepare another wicket deemed to be poor or unfit within the next year.