Cricket: Kent appeal over Pears washout.

KENT have launched an appeal to the four rival counties who blocked the award of five compensation points following their abandoned County Championship fixture against Worcestershire.

The England and Wales Cricket Board had proposed to award Kent nine points after their July 8-11 fixture at New Road was washed out during the floods which hit the area.

But Lancashire, Yorkshire, Warwickshire and Durham all objected to the proposal and Kent only ended up with the normal four points for a washout, which prompted chairman Carl Openshaw to accuse the four counties of acting with "self-interest".

The ECB had offered that as a possible solution after deciding it was not feasible to proceed with their initial plan to allow the game to be replayed as New Road was still flooded, but needed the backing of all the Division One clubs for the extra points to be awarded.

Openshaw has sent a letter to the four counties, outlining the severity of the New Road conditions, highlighting Worcestershire's acknowledgement of blame in terms of failing to relocate the match, and stating that Kent were blameless in the matter. The letter also cites Worcestershire's position at the bottom of Division One and the average number of points won by other counties against them -16 at the time - as a factor to be considered.

Play between Kent and Worcestershire in the LV County Championship Division Two was washed out for the second day in a row after persistent rain at Canterbury yesterday.