Following events surrounding the Grade 2 match between Caledonian and 2^nd Cults played on Saturday June 27^th 2009, a reference was made to the Association’s Disciplinary Committee which, after Appeal, has resulted in one Cults player being suspended for 3 games for breach of the Spirit of Cricket by directing abusive language at an opponent.  Allegations of threatening behaviour, and of incitement of others to ill discipline, were found by the Disciplinary Committee to be not proved.

Although the use of abusive language, which was found to be proved, was in the context of the enforcement of the Grade Rule relating to a team being adjudged to have lost the toss if, on the balance of probability, not present in time to comply with Law 12 requiring the toss to be made by the captain or another representative on the field of play not later than 15 minutes before the scheduled start of any game, the Management Committee, on Appeal, quashed the finding that this act was of itself an instance of “sharp practice” in breach of the Spirit of Cricket.  The Committee noted that Grade rules do not in any event prescribe a procedure for “claiming” the toss in these circumstances; but simply specify a process whereby it is regarded as lost by a defaulting side as an automatic penalty – though teams may choose not to enforce that as an extra-statutory concession if they so wish; and will in practice often do so.