Player banned after assault

Two Norfolk club cricketers have received bans as part of a clampdown on poor discipline.

North Runcton A's Michael Cubitt and Sheringham's Ravindra Pushpakumara have been banned from all forms of cricket by the Norfolk Cricket Board after they were found to have breached the code of conduct in Norfolk Alliance games this season.

Cubitt has been handed a three-year ban - the final two years of which are suspended - for physical assault against an opponent during the game at Hunstanton on July 14. He will therefore be unable to play until September 30, 2008 and any further misconduct when he returns would see the ban extended to 2010.

Pushpakumara, who has played Test cricket for Sri Lanka, has been banned for two weeks from August 13 - effectively ruling him out of the rest of the season - and for a further two weeks from May 1, 2008. He was reported for foul and abusive language towards a member of his own team, who had given Pushpakumara out while umpiring in a game against East Harling.

Sheringham, who narrowly missed out on promotion from Division Three last year, are currently four points behind leaders Mundford and the absence of the prolific Pushpakumara would be a significant blow to their title hopes.

However, Sheringham captain Jimmy Hall confirmed that the club had lodged an appeal against the verdict and that Pushpakumara would play tomorrow against Ashmanhaugh. The appeal is unlikely to be heard until after the end of the season, leaving the Sri Lankan clear to also feature in the final game, against Downham Town A.

Chairman of the Alliance's disciplinary committee, John Dewing, said Sheringham had been told that if an appeal is rejected, the punishment could be varied.

Dewing said he hoped the punishments would serve as a warning to all club players: “There will be mixed views on this and some people may say that we have not been hard enough on these individuals,” he said. “But we feel this will send out a message that poor discipline will not be tolerated.”