English County Durham docked 10 points after Nic Maddinson uses oversized bat

Australian Maddinson used a bat that failed a bat-gauge test during Durham's game against Derbyshire earlier this month. The equipment was inspected by the umpire before the left-hander was asked to continue with another bat.

County Championship side Durham were left to rue a batting mishap on Thursday, however it was not a sloppy shot that cost them dear but the size of Nic Maddinson's willow, resulting in a 10-point deduction.

File photo of Nic Maddinson

Australian Maddinson used a bat that failed a bat-gauge test during Durham's game against Derbyshire earlier this month. The equipment was inspected by the umpire before the left-hander was asked to continue with another bat.

"Durham have accepted a 10-point deduction from the Cricket Discipline Commission (CDC) after batter Nic Maddinson admitted a breach of ECB Directives 3.2 and 3.3," England's Cricket Discipline Commission (CDC) said in a statement.

"The CDC considered the points put in mitigation by Durham CCC and Maddinson, that the offence was committed unintentionally, but confirmed that the matter had to be dealt on a strict liability basis."

Marylebone Cricket Club rules dictate that a bat must not be longer than 96.52cm from the handle down and its dimensions should not exceed 10.8cm for width, 6.7cm for depth and 4cm for its edges.