THE mid-pitch fight that shocked the Home Counties Premier League in August has cost Aston Rowant promotion to Division One after a disciplinary panel confirmed the deduction of 25 points from the Division Two West champions.

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The Aston Rowant seam-bowler Tim Miles was sent packing by his club to Western Australia and told not to come back, but it was not enough to save the season. Reading were promoted instead, bouncing back at the first attempt.

Miles, 19, finished with six victims, all bowled, to set up a seven-wicket home victory over Basingstoke, but Rowant's reputation was ruined when he became involved in a brawl with batsman Dean Nurse in a revolting incident that did neither player any credit.

Nurse remonstrated angrily with Miles after receiving what he regarded as a deliberate beamer. The two players came to blows in mid-pitch and ended up scuffling on the ground as team-mates rushed up to separate them. This astonishing incident at Butts Way was captured by Oxford Mail photographer George Reszeter and his pictures were published on www.thisisoxfordshire.co.uk.

Rowant's captain Wesley Morrick said in the week after the match that the incident was unexpected. He said: "The two of them had been having a bit of banter, and Nurse had been shouting from the sidelines. Tim was bowling a lot of yorkers. He got one wrong and it went through as a full toss.

"Nurse thought it was deliberate and threw his bat down and ran up to Tim. Tim then tackled him. Tim is a 19-year-old and if someone is running at you, what do you do? We are not going to say it isn’t wrong, but are not going to take full responsibility for it. It spoiled a good game. Afterwards everyone stayed behind for beers." After these comments, it was not surprising that the league issued a reprimand for his attitude on the day of the match.

Aston Rowant issued a statement at the time: "ARCC condemns without qualification the actions of those involved and wish to make it very clear that what happened in no way reflects the attitude or beliefs of Aston Rowant Cricket Club. ARCC and Timothy Miles sincerely apologise to the HCPL, Basingstoke & North Hants and all other relevant parties for his involvement in this incident."

The Home Counties League disciplinary panel initially banned Miles for five years and deducted 25 points, while hitting relegated Basingstoke for five points, but they had to rescind the decision due to procedural irregularities. This week a hearing was held and both players were found guilty of a Level 4 breach of discipline involving an assault of another player. Both were banned for one year, with another year suspended, and both clubs had 25 points deducted.

The panel placed a reprimand on the record of both captains, Morrick and Russell Droy, of Basingstoke.

CHARLIE SAYS: It is difficult to believe that this really happened -- a fully fledged fight between two club cricketers in the middle of the pitch. One wonders how did the umpires allowed matters to get this far.