Essex docked 12 points over ‘wider bat’ controversy in County Championship - Know more

Plenty of other on-field stuff outside of cricket has made headlines over the years, but rarely did a team or a player get punished for using a wider bat. One of these incidents happened when Essex batter Feroze Khushi's bat failed the mandatory equipment dimension check after the second innings against Nottinghamshire in April this year, which his team won by 254 runs.

The Cricket Discipline Commission (CDC) Panel punished Essex by docking them 12 points after they gained 20 following their massive win.

That, however, ended their hopes of winning the Championship this year.

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The point deduction leaves Essex 56 points behind Surrey – the Division One leaders, with two matches remaining following the current round.

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Per a report in BBC Sport, the CDC panel also warned Essex to deduct half of their available match points in any competition should their player commit the same offence within two years.

Although Essex appealed against the original charges, saying they raised concerns with Khushi’s bat manufacturer, Gray-Nicolls, about inconsistency around tools used to measure bats (called gauges), that was dismissed quickly.

Trust broken

Essex batter Feroze Khushi admitted not checking his bats for conformity before using them ahead of the ongoing season and instead trusted the bat manufacturer to abide by the measurements laid.

Though the panel reprimanded the 25-year-old, Feroze admitted he never intended to use the non-conforming bat.

"Essex CCC regrets the outcome and, although disappointed with the appeal decision and subsequent sanctions, accepts the charges of the CDC panel," a club statement said.

"The club remains fully committed to upholding the integrity of the game and ensuring strict compliance with all relevant regulations moving forward."

"In light of the concerns raised during the appeal, the club will be writing to the CDC, Cricket Regulator and the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to formally highlight the matters which arose during the process, such as those raised by the club in relation to the bat gauges.

"Essex CCC hopes that these concerns will prompt action to address inconsistencies and enhance the fairness and transparency of future regulatory processes."

Meanwhile, two years ago, Durham was deducted 10 points after their batter, Nic Maddinson, was found to be using an oversized bat. Elsewhere, Derbyshire was handed a two-point sanction in the One Day Cup the same season when Mattie McKiernan was found using the oversized bat.

According to the laws of the game, a bat's width cannot be more than 10.8 cm, the depth cannot be more than 6.7 cm, and the edges cannot exceed 4 cm. The bats must also pass a bat-gauge test.

(With inputs from agencies)