Carew keep title but are relegated
CAREW have been relegated following their controversial declaration in a title decider but have been allowed to keep their crown.
The Welsh club declared after scoring just 18 runs for the loss of one wicket in their Pembrokeshire League showdown against Cresselly.
The declaration meant Cresselly could not pick up the bonus points needed to overhaul Carew and, despite winning the match, lost out to the Rooks by a single point.
Mass criticism followed the declaration with former Glamorgan player Gareth Rees dubbing Carew’s decision a “disgrace” and “an embarrassment”.
At the time, Cresselly revealed their disappointment at Carew’s decision and said they were unaware of their intentions.
A statement said: “At no point did any of our officials or captain say that Cresselly would have done the same thing should the positions had been the other way.
“We obviously feel hard done by at not being able to play a proper game to determine the winner of Division One.”
Despite officials claiming the club had not broken any rules, a disciplinary group was set up by Pembroke County Cricket Club (PCCC), which runs the game locally and launched the investigation following complaints.
The decision was taken to relegate the side and fine them £300 but the side was allowed to remain as champions of Division One.
Carew Cricket Club secretary Nick Scourfield was at the hearing on Tuesday night and said the side is appealing.
He explained: “We are appealing against the decision and we are awaiting a date for another hearing.”
Captain of Carew, Brian Hall, has also been suspended for the start of the 2018 season after he had been charged with a failure in his duties as captain in ensuring the game was playing within the spirit of cricket.
Pembroke County Cricket Club chairman Paul Webb said the club would not be commenting.