Shadford to sit it out as ban stands

MISSING OUT: Darren Shadford (batting) won’t feature against Micklehurst on Saturday.

Cricket:

Darren Shadford punishment for his involvement in a turbulent Saddleworth League Tanner Cup quarter-final clash between Saddleworth and Whalley Range is to stand, a league disciplinary hearing has decided.

The decision means the former Lancashire player is now in the middle of his suspension, having sat out Saturday’s game at Shaw. He will now also miss Saturday’s game against Micklehurst.

The Well-i-Hole outfit initially planned to appeal against both Darren Shadford’s two-match ban, imposed for provocation, and a £100 club fine. But club chiefs presented no defence and withdrew their appeal against the fine shortly before the hearing, leaving the committee to warn the club about its players’ future conduct.

Whalley Range’s various appeals will be heard at the next disciplinary committee meeting, which takes place on August 7.

Sulman Malik, who was found to have struck Shadford with his bat, plans to appeal against the length of his ban. The club suspended him for two matches and the league added four more.

Waqas Malik, the Range skipper, is disputing his ban (one match and one suspended until the end of the year for failing to control his players. Janaid Maqsood (one match) and Paul Davies (two matches) have also appealed. Davies is hoping his previous good behaviour will be taken into account. The club is also fighting a £100 fine.

No appeal has been made for Whalley Range’s Jangai Abbas and Faizan Ahmad. The former was suspended for seven games, the latter for one.