Tactical declaration causes uproar

A tiny club in Wales has been slammed for a tactical declaration that secured them the Division One title but whose critics say went against the spirit of cricket.

Carew's final match of the season against Cresselly lasted just a handful of overs when Carew, who held a 21-point advantage over Cresselly on top of the standings heading into the match, declared after just 2.3 overs with their score on 1-18. Cresselly easily chased down the victory target, earning 20 points for the win, but were unable to secure any bonus points and thus Carew won the title by a single point.

Pembroke County Cricket Club have confirmed that the result of the match and the season will stand as Carew didn't break any rules, but the club has been slammed by a host of former players.

Former Glamorgan cricketers Steve James, Mark Wallace and Gareth Rees were among those to criticise the move, with James - who played two Tests for England in 1998 before moving into the media - labelling the declaration a "disgrace".

Pembroke County Cricket Club secretary Steve Blowes told the BBC that while Carew's title would stand, the matter would be discussed by the club's executive this week.

"They haven't broken any Laws of Cricket nor have they broken any rules of the Pembroke County Cricket Club," Blowes said.

"Whether it's within the spirit of cricket is a debate. I don't think it is. I think it's disrespectful

"Nothing can be done about what's happened now ... whether someone will suggest ways of maybe trying to prevent it happening in the future, that might occur."

While it's been confirmed that Carew did not break any laws in this instance, the official Laws of Cricket make it illegal for a team to declare in one-day matches.

That rule was brought in after a controversial English county match in 1979 when Somerset captain Brian Rose declared after just one over of their one-day match against Worcestershire.

At the time, the old formula of strike rate was used to split teams that finished level on points, rather than the modern day net run-rate. Knowing that Somerset would advance to the quarter-finals if they avoided a heavy defeat, Rose decided to declare early and later strongly defended his decision. 

"I had no alternative," he said. "The rules are laid down in black and white.

"If anybody wishes to complain, they should do it to the people who make them.'

And the game's rule-makers acted swiftly and harshly; Somerset were expelled from the competition and the laws were later changed to only permit declarations in matches where teams are allowed to bat more than once.