Scots cricket club removes official after racism claims
SCOTTISH cricket has been rocked by racism once more after a senior club official was removed from his role following allegations of abuse directed at a player of South Asian origin. The incident allegedly occurred during Saturday’s match between Dunfermline and Carnegie v Tranent, and comes just a week after the explosive report into Cricket Scotland which found the governing body to be ‘institutionally racist’. It’s understood the Division Six game in the East of Scotland Cricket Assocation (ESCA) had been played in what one source described as an ‘unfriendly manner’ and tensions were high between the two sides. When contacted by Sportsmail, Dunfermline released a statement
saying: ‘Dunfermline and
Carnegie Cricket Club is and always has been a multicultural club which does not condone racism in any form. ‘as the result of the seriousness of the allegation made, we have taken the necessary steps and removed the individual concerned from all roles within the club.’ The abused player, who wished to remain anonymous, told Sportsmail: ‘I would like to give EsCa the opportunity to make this right — and Cricket scotland too. ‘I will write to Cricket scotland today and I would like their appointed people to make this right because it’s about the future of scottish cricket and where it is going. ‘I will consider reporting this to Police scotland as a hate crime if EsCa don’t act. What I want them to do is a complete investigation. This individual has been removed and it’s a start but it is after the press got involved. ‘I want EsCa to have a hearing, have an investigation and for plan4sport to be involved — and whatever happens we will see, but my concern has to be that right now there was abuse from that individual and no condemnation from his team and that there may be institutional acceptance of racism in that club.They haven’t held their hands up and said sorry. That’d have been more
respectable.’ lMark Chapman hit an unbeaten century as new Zealand powered to a seven-wicket one-day international victory over scotland. Chapman, who finished on 101 not out, mounted an unbroken fourth-wicket stand of 175 with daryl Mitchell to ease the tourists past their target of 307 with 25 balls to spare at the grange.
Openers Martin guptill and Finn allen got the Kiwis’ reply off to a solid start with contributions of 47 and 50 respectively, but it was Chapman and Mitchell who provided the impetus despite Michael leask’s return of two for 46. They came together at the start of the 24th over with the score on 132 for three and Chapman’s knock, which included seven sixes and six fours, and an unbeaten 74 from Mitchell saw them home. Matthew Cross and leask had earlier produced a middle-order fightback to keep the scots in the game. Having opted to bat, skipper Richie Berrington saw Kyle Coetzer and Michael Jones make it to 46 before Coetzer went for 22, soon to be followed by Callum Macleod, Jones for 36, Berrington and
Chris greaves to leave his side on 107 for five three balls into the 25th over. Mark Watt’s 31 and 28 from safyaan sharif eased scotland to 306 all out with two balls remaining, with Michael Bracewell and Jacob duffy both taking three wickets.