cricket20 :: Text Edition

cricket20

Text Edition

Top Stories

Sales' fury at umpiring

Steelbacks skipper David Sales was left fuming at umpiring "incompetence" as his side lost their 100 per cent Twenty20 Cup record last night.

Steelbacks skipper David Sales was left fuming at umpiring "incompetence" as his side lost their 100 per cent Twenty20 Cup record last night.

In a game reduced to 12 overs because of rain, Somerset Sabres hit a four off the last ball bowled by Sales to overhaul Northamptonshire's 95 for six.

Sales was forced to bowl the last over because umpires Graham Burgess and Peter Hartley decided Steffan Jones' one ball in place of the injured Damien Wright constituted an over.

But the Northants skipper claims they told him it wouldn't when he repeatedly asked them. And it was only when umpires Burgess and Hartley were informed by Somerset scorer Gerry Stickler of the ruling before the last over that normal death bowler Johann Louw was stopped from bowling what would have been his third over.

Only two bowlers were allowed to bowl three overs and with Jones bowling 2.1 overs and Jason Brown three, Louw couldn't bowl anymore.

Sales took it upon himself to step in, but was denied a heroic victory. Sales said: "It is disappointing to lose due to incompetence I suppose."

"Before Steffan bowled that one ball I asked the umpires on numerous occasions if this one ball counted as an over and they said no it doesn't. So, you take their word for it."

"Then they said Johann couldn't bowl that last over because two people had already bowled three overs and I said how come."

"They said that one ball counts and I said you told me it doesn't count, but they said it does. It was very frustrating, you go to the people in charge of the match and if they don't know the rules what chance have you got?

"The boys are very disappointed after that because we all asked the question and we all got the same answer. If you ask the umpires and they tell you it doesn't count you expect it not to."

"They talked to the scorers only when the Somerset batsmen questioned them, perhaps they should have talked to them when I asked the question. It's very frustrating."

The win moves Somerset level with the Steelbacks on six points at the top of the Midlands/West/Wales group.

Text Edition Home

Cricket | Champions League Cricket | IPL | ICL | Twenty20 World Cup