Middlesex appeal to escape drop
MIDDLESEX chief Angus Fraser has said he will appeal against the ECB’s decision to dock them two points for a slow over rate during their abandoned game with Surrey, which eventually saw them relegated from the County Championship first division. Last year’s champions were deducted two points last month when their match against Surrey at The Oval was abandoned due to a crossbow bolt being fired on to the pitch during play — with Middlesex behind on their over rate at the time. The club were disappointed with the decision as they felt they were denied the chance to improve their over rate later in the game, and defeat by Somerset on Wednesday saw them relegated from the first division by just one point. Director of cricket Fraser claims they were told they would not lose any points for their slow over rate and said they intend to appeal the sanction. ‘We will be raising the matter with the ECB,’ Fraser told the BBC. ‘All the information we had when we left the ground was, “Don’t worry you’re not going to lose those points”, and to find out that we do, further down the line, is pretty gut-wrenching. ‘There were police running around the dressing rooms and things like that. ‘You think there are more important things to do than keep hassling the umpires, and you respect their decision and let them get on with what they’re doing.’ Fraser was also frustrated by the pitch Somerset produced for their relegation showdown, branding it a ‘disgrace’ and ‘doctored’. The wicket at Taunton, on which Middlesex’s secondinnings collapse for 113 sealed their relegation and Somerset’s survival, was deemed ‘below average’ by the ECB. The governing body yesterday conducted a further investigation of the pitch, which is likely to be delivered on Monday.