Cricket: Durham chief's fury after call-off chaos; Confusion and anger at the Riverside as Twenty20 match called off.Byline: By JEFF Jeff boob who usually bungles Mutt’s schemes. [Comics: Berger, 48] See : Dimwittedness BOWRON DURHAM chief executive David Harker believes cricket was the loser following the farcical far·ci·cal adj. 1. Of or relating to farce. 2. a. Resembling a farce; ludicrous. b. Ridiculously clumsy; absurd. far late cancellation of last night's important Twenty20 Cup The Twenty20 Cup is a cricket competition for English and Welsh county clubs. The Twenty20 format, twenty overs for each team, means a game can be completed in under three hours, making it more palatable for children and families than longer matches. tie against Yorkshire at the Riverside. The game was called off with many of an expectant crowd already in the ground, due to the Tykes inadvertently fielding an ineligible player, rookie teenager Azeem Rafiq Azeem Rafiq (February 27 1991) is an English cricketer. A right arm off-spin bowler with a scholarship to Yorkshire, Azeem is also captain of the England Under-15s, and the first Yorkshire cricket player of an Asian background to captain any England cricket side at any level. , in their last North Group game against Nottinghamshire. It was an unprecedented situation in English cricket and one that left an unfortunate Durham, and the supporters of both clubs, as the unfortunate victims. A stunned Harker said: "The biggest loss is the reputation of the game as this has made us look like amateurs. "We are the innocent party in all of this. It is a sorry state of affairs and I believe it was too late in the day to call the game off. "We were told by the ECB See electronic code book. the quarter-final was void until a panel decide whether Yorkshire have qualified properly. "We tried to find a way forward and I was in favour of playing the game and then letting the ECB decide Yorkshire's fate afterwards. The governing body Noun 1. governing body - the persons (or committees or departments etc.) who make up a body for the purpose of administering something; "he claims that the present administration is corrupt"; "the governance of an association is responsible to its members"; "he now have three options - issuing a fine, kicking Yorkshire out of the tournament, or forcing the contentious Nottinghamshire game against the Tykes to be replayed. The latter decision would cause further problems to an already congested con·gest·ed adj. Affected with or characterized by congestion. congested ENT adjective Referring to a boggy blood-filled tissue. See Nasal congestion. fixture list with Twenty20 Finals Day at the Rose Bowl now just 18 days away. There is a suggestion Durham could stage their quarter-final tie on July 15, 20 or 21. though if either of the later dates was selected fans would have less than a week to book travel and accommodation in Southampton should the Dynamos win. If Yorkshire are forced to replay their group game against Nottinghamshire it is likely to be on July 15, making Monday, July 21 the likely date for Durham's ill-fated last-eight tie. Harker added: "Fitting in the quarter-final is going to be a challenge. "We do not know who we will be playing or when, and there are not a lot of opportunities to play the game." Durham coach Geoff Cook Geoffrey Cook (born October 9, 1951, Middlesbrough, Yorkshire) is a former English cricketer who played in 7 Tests and 6 ODIs from 1981 to 1983. In county cricket he played for Northamptonshire County Cricket Club later moving to Durham County Cricket Club when they gained was also frustrated with an unexpected stalemate which was out of his hands. He said: "The players were really up for an important quarter-final and we have suffered all round because of the postponement. "We had no indication of what was going on until mid-afternoon, when the chief executive had a call from the ECB saying the game would not be going ahead. "There have been hairy situations before but not so 11thhour as this. It is sad for the game, but also for the young lad at the centre of the controversy." A blameless blame·less adj. Free of blame or guilt; innocent. blame  less·ly adv.blame Durham, however, could now be penalised on the pitch as the two players drafted in for the Twenty20 Cup may not be available on the rescheduled date. Albie Morkel Johannes Albertus Morkel (born 10 June 1981, Vereeniging, Transvaal, South Africa), also known as just Albie Morkel, is a South African cricketer with impressive first class statistics, but who has made a smaller impact on the international stage. had been expected to leave in the next few days, though his place would be taken by West Indies star Shivnarine Chanderpaul. All-rounder Shaun Pollock will be commentating on the second Test between England and South Africa on July 20 and 21. The South African great is an integral part of Durham's quest for Twenty20 glory, but would need special dispensation DISPENSATION. A relaxation of law for the benefit or advantage of an individual. In the United States, no power exists, except in the legislature, to dispense with law, and then it is not so much a dispensation as a change of the law. to be allowed to play. Pollock said: "The club brought myself and Albie over especially for the Twenty20 Cup and it now all depends on when the game takes place whether I will be around. "Travelling to the game, I thought there might be a problem with the weather, but not this. "It is sad for the club because it would have been a great game and the boys were looking forward to it. "It has shown a few people up at the ECB and if the decision had been made a day earlier then people would not have wasted their time travelling to the game." COMMENT: PAGE 6 CAPTION(S): NO SCORE: Durham were left frustrated as last night's match was off |
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