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Yorkshire's Twenty20 hopes fail

14/07/2008

Yorkshire's chances of being re-instated to the quarter-finals of the Twenty20 Cup were dashed when they won their appeal against the original decision to reverse the result of their group game against Nottinghamshire, but were deducted two points for fielding an ineligible player.

Glamorgan have emerged as the beneficiaries and will now face Durham in the quarter-finals.

Nottinghamshire were originally given a place in the last eight after being awarded a win in their game with Yorkshire because Yorkshire fielded ineligible teenager Azeem Rafiq.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) appeals hearing in Taunton decided to re-instate Yorkshire with the points from the game against Nottinghamshire, but deduct two from their total from the group stages which means that Glamorgan now go through because they have a better net run-rate than Yorkshire.

The ECB's decision means that Yorkshire are denied the opportunity to compete for a place in next year’s lucrative Twenty20 'Champions League'.

The punishment stems from Yorkshire fielding Pakistan-born Azeem Rafiq in their win against Nottinghamshire.

Rafiq has captained England Under-15s and Under-16s, but holds a Pakistan passport rather than a British one, which means he was considered to be an overseas player, but was not registered as such.

An ECB statement read: "Yorkshire claim that the failure to register Azeem Rafiq was the result of a technical oversight.

"They claimed that discretion should be exercised under regulation 2.1 and that the penalties imposed were 'manifestly disproportionate'.

"The facts were not in dispute and the panel accept that Yorkshire did not deliberately flout the registration regulations, that the panel find there was a systematic failing of process.

"Given the serious breach of the regulations the panel find it appropriate to deduct the two points received by Yorkshire in the match against Nottinghamshire though the result will stand.

"Yorkshire are also required to pay £2,000 in total towards the costs of both hearings."

Glamorgan will now meet Durham at the Riverside but the date of the match has yet to be confirmed.