Essex’s slim chances of claiming the County Championship title this season have taken a severe blow following a 12-point deduction imposed by the Cricket Discipline Commission (CDC). This penalty was enforced after it was revealed that Essex player Feroze Khushi used an over-sized bat during their opening match against Nottinghamshire in April.

Feroze KhushiThe issue came to light when Khushi's bat was found to be too wide by umpires Tom Lungley and Steve O'Shaughnessy during Essex’s second innings. Although Essex won the match by 254 runs, the club has now lost 12 of the 20 points from that fixture, leaving them trailing Surrey by 56 points with only two rounds left to play.

The decision has been met with strong criticism from within Essex. Keith Fletcher, the club president and former England captain, labeled the ruling as "absolutely stupid," accusing the ECB of overreacting and penalizing the entire team for a single player's error. Fletcher expressed frustration over the decision, highlighting the impact on the club’s financial stakes and prestige, especially given their status as a non-Test match club.

Anu Mohindru KC, Essex chairman, also voiced concerns about the inconsistency in bat measurement gauges used during the investigation. Mohindru noted discrepancies in the gauges and questioned the fairness of the testing process. Despite acknowledging that Khushi’s bat did not pass the final gauge test, Mohindru criticized the lack of standardization in the equipment used.

In response to the sanctions, Essex has accepted the CDC's ruling but remains committed to addressing the issues raised during the appeal. The club plans to formally address the inconsistencies with the CDC, Cricket Regulator, and England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to seek improvements in future regulatory processes.