Surrey start ball-tampering probe

Surrey have promised to identify the bowler guilty of ball-tampering in their match against Nottinghamshire and to deliver swift punishment.

Chairman of cricket Micky Stewart will conduct an inquiry send a report to the ECB at the end of the week.

Umpires Mervyn Kitchen and Nigel Llong spotted on Friday that the quarter seam of the ball had been lifted.

"The club is committed to dealing with the matter quickly and decisively," chief executive Paul Sheldon said.

Our policy is very much in line with the ECB and is likely to involve the agreement of any punishment with the ECB Paul Sheldon Surrey chief executive

"All I can say at this moment is that I am very sorry it has happened and I have expressed my feelings to the umpires and the ECB.

"We at Surrey set ourselves targets and it is a huge letdown for us as a club and we will endeavour to find out who is responsible during our investigation."

The ECB said recently it was clamping down on ball-tampering and had given umpires advice on what to look out for.

Glamorgan in ball-tampering row

A similar row affected the match between Glamorgan and Gloucestershire this week, although umpires said the matter was unlikely to go further.

Whatever the internal findings, operations manager Alan Fordham said Surrey could face an ECB disciplinary hearing if the committee's chairman Gerard Elias believes there should be one.

I would like the ECB to consider the possibility of a hefty points deduction From Gavin Have your say on TMS

It is not clear what punishment could be meted out as no tariff exists.

The only precedent is that last year Sussex's Mohammad Akram, now with Surrey, was given three disciplinary points for contravening law 42.3, which governs the condition of the ball.

Speaking to BBC Radio Five Live, Sheldon admitted the club could be docked points in the County Championship but said he is determined to root out the culprit.

"Our policy is very much in line with the ECB and is likely to involve the agreement of any punishment with the ECB," he said.

"It could be either banning the player or fining them or both and then it will be up to the ECB to decide on any further punishment."