Probe into cricket fight

A LOCAL cricket league is investigating an altercation after punches were reportedly thrown at a cricket match in Burnie at the weekend.

The incident resulted in four players being reported and the third-grade match abandoned.

Three Burnie Cricket League players from Somerset and one from Acton will face the league’s tribunal following the incident.

The alleged brawl occurred while the Acton player was filling in as umpire in the thirdgrade match.

Burnie Cricket League president Anthony Haneveer said it was not believed that a particular umpiring decision led to the scuffle but that it sprung from an ongoing disagreement.

“According to people at the ground it was more of a question of a couple of players — one acting as umpire — that person and a Somerset player were engaged in some words and at some point that escalated and one and possibly two players have allegedly become involved in an act of violence,” Mr Haneveer said.

Three of the players have been reported for striking and one for verbal abuse.

They will appear before an independent tribunal panel tonight.

“When something alleged is physical it is obviously under our code of conduct a level 3, the most severe level of offence, and as a result it goes automatically to the tribunal,” Mr Haneveer said.

“If the allegation is that people were punching each other then it’s only appropriate for the tribunal to hear the matter.”

Mr Haneveer said in his 10plus years as league executive he had never heard of an alleged incident so severe.

He said the alleged fight “does not reflect the standards of our competition or our players’ behaviour”.

Once the dust settled, Somerset and Acton captains agreed to call the game off with Acton 3-77 after 27 overs.

“You had the captains and some sensible people get together and decide, given the heat that erupted … the feeling was the best thing to do was not continue the game,” Mr Haneveer said.

Cricket Tasmania does not administer the Burnie Cricket League but a spokesman said “the organisation is keen to support the league in any way it can”.

The BCL is yet to decide what the official result of the match will be.