PENALTY DRAMA
QUEENS DENIED A WIN:
“DISHEARTENED” Queens will learn in the coming days if Cricket Gold Coast will reverse their result against Palm Beach Currumbin following a contentious Saturday contest.
The powerhouse club were left irate after their rivals were awarded 12 penalty runs – six for each over missed – when Queens were three minutes late in finishing their 40 bowling overs.
Batting first, Queens posted 7-177 before PBC reached 9-172 with two overs remaining when time ran out.
Amid the confusion play continued, with Queens taking the final PBC wicket two balls later to spark their victory celebrations.
They were short-lived, however, with word coming through play should have been halted once time had lapsed in Queens’ bowling shift.
Queens player and coach Jimmy Spargo expressed his disappointment at the decision and his club’s appeal is likely to be heard by Cricket Gold Coast in the coming days.
“We weren’t thrilled. We thought we’d won and then to be told right after – it was disheartening,” he said.
“It’s a rule that has many different interpretations and it could go either way. I’m nervous, hopefully it goes favourably.
“We’ll just have to wait and see what the committee decides.”
Palm Beach Currumbin captain and coach Ryan Kettle, though, said the rule was black and white.
“It is what it is and has always been that way. It’s standard practice,” said Kettle, whose side has been hit by the same penalty in recent seasons. “The penalty was expected – there’s no reason for the game to run slow.”
Cricket Gold Coast board member Peter Goodchap said it was at the umpires’ discretion whether a penalty was warranted after deciding whether the bowling team gave every effort to finish.
Goodchap pointed to the rule being created so as to not disadvantage the team batting second by the opposition deliberately bowling slow.
He also said he didn’t know what the outcome would be as there were many considerations for the committee to take into account.
These include if there were any delays in the innings out of Queens’ control, or whether the umpires were keeping the team up to date on the status of the innings.