Wairarapa Cricket Association chairman Sam Rossiter-Stead said an investigator has been appointed to scrutinise the abandonment of the Bidwill Cup final on Saturday.
Wairarapa Cricket Association chairman Sam Rossiter-Stead said an investigator has been appointed to scrutinise the abandonment of the Bidwill Cup final on Saturday.
Wairarapa Cricket Association have appointed the chairman of the Masterton District Council's hearing committee, Jonathan Hooker, as the independent investigator into the incidents which occurred in the Bidwill Cup senior men's final at Queen Elizabeth Park oval last Saturday.
The match between Greytown and Lansdowne was called off when theGreytown players refused to return to the field of play after the tea break on the first day because of what they saw as an "intolerable level of abuse directed at our players", a move which meant Lansdowne became the cup holders by forfeit.
WCA chairman Sam Rossiter-Stead said Mr Hooker was highly experienced in dealing with these kinds of issues and had been an independent commissioner for the past six years. He was also a former New Zealand police officer and a member of the Institute of Directors.
"More importantly, Jonathan has a strong reputation as a man of great integrity and we know he will work hard to uncover the truth of Saturday's situation and ensure a fair result for all those concerned," Rossiter-Stead said. "He will begin work on his investigation right away and has a number of people to interview who took part in or were spectators at the game."
Rossiter-Stead and WCA president Mark Elliott will assist Mr Hooker with the investigation. They are the only two members of the management board who do not have a conflict of interest in this matter.
"The most important thing for all those connected with cricket in Wairarapa is that we carry out a thorough investigation into what happened and then work together to ensure there is never a repeat," Rossister-Stead said.
Meanwhile, the chairman of the Wairarapa Cricket Umpires and Scorers Association, Chris Cogdale, said the Bidwill Cup furor had been discussed at a meeting of their organisation this week and they fully supported the actions of the two umpires standing in that game, Johann Fourie and James Sprowson.
"They were aware of what was happening and on two occasions had issued official warnings to players over their behaviour. We are satisfied they upheld the laws," Cogdale said.
