Kirby punished for ball-tampering

Steve Kirby was signed from Yorkshire after the 2004 season

Gloucestershire fast bowler Steve Kirby has been given a suspended three-day ban and ordered to pay £125 costs after being found guilty of ball-tampering.

Glamorgan claimed Kirby twice scuffed the ball in the Sophia Gardens car park during a Championship game in May.

But an ECB disciplinary panel said the condition of the ball had not been altered by his actions.

"I am an honest player who has never intentionally altered the condition of the ball and I never will," said Kirby.

"I'm looking forward to putting this issue behind me, and concentrating on getting back on the field."

Kirby was found to be in breach of Law 42.3 (b), which prohibits: "anyone to rub the ball on the ground for any reason, interfere with any of the seams or the surface of the ball, use any implement, or ... alter the condition of the ball".

The umpires are duty bound to change the ball if the condition of the ball has been altered Richard Bevan

An ECB statement explained: "Normally, interfering with the ball would be considered a very serious offence which would attract the maximum penalties.

"However, in arriving at its decision, the panel was not satisfied that on either occasion was damaged caused to the ball which materially altered its condition."

Surrey were last month docked eight Championship points after they failed to identify the bowler guilty of lifting the seam in a match against Nottinghamshire.

Players union chief executive Richard Bevan pointed out that the umpires did not notice any damage.

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"The umpires are duty bound to change the ball if the condition of the ball has been altered, as was alleged of Steve Kirby," he said.

"According to the umpires report, there was no clear evidence that the match ball had been tampered with and the match ball was not changed."

Gloucestershire chief executive Tom Richardson expressed his desire to move on after the dispute.

He added: "We note that the penalty imposed on Steven Kirby is at the bottom end of the scale."