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Cosgrove hit with one-game suspension

Former ODI batsman hit with ban for repeated disciplinary offences, while Leicestershire docked 16 points

The England and Wales Cricket Board has come down hard on former Australia batsman Mark Cosgrove, banning the Leicestershire captain for one match on the eve of the County Championship season.

Leicestershire were also hit with a 16-point penalty for repeated code disciplinary infringements on Thursday, just one day out from their season-opener against Nottinghamshire.

The county were punished after veteran paceman Charlie Shreck was found to have used obscene language or gestures in a first-class warm-up match against Loughborough MCCU last week.

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Shreck's offence was the fifth time in 12 months that Leicestershire had been found guilty of a disciplinary offence.

Under ECB regulations, the 39-year-old fast-bowler's actions triggered the 16-point penalty and led to a one-game ban for Cosgrove as he had been the captain on all five occasions.

England's Cricket Discipline Commission also fined the club $AUD 8,624 (£5,000) with a further eight-point penalty suspended for one year.

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It's a significant setback for the Division Two side, with 16 points the amount awarded for a victory in the four-day competition before batting and bowling bonus points.

An ECB statement said Cosgrove, who plays first-class cricket solely in England after losing his contract with South Australia after helping them to the 2015-16 Sheffield Shield final, would be suspended for the Foxes' Championship match against Glamorgan on April 21.

The left-hander's ban could be overturned by an appeal but Cosgrove suggested the club needs to "move on" and improve its disciplinary record.

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"We've got to get better, be more disciplined - 16 points is a big deal to us. It's a game," the 32-year-old, who played three one-day internationals for Australia in 2006, told BBC Radio.

"Hopefully we can get some positive points on the board. This hurts the boys. We need to learn and get better.

"Charlie is very disappointed and very apologetic. He overstepped the mark. He knows he did the wrong thing.

"We've just got to take it and move on and get busy into the season."

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Leicestershire were also hit with a 16-point penalty during the 2015 season for similar offences.

The Foxes, who also feature former Australia seamer Clint McKay, begin their Division Two campaign at home to a James Pattinson and Stuart Broad-led Nottinghamshire.