The County Championship Division Two match between Gloucestershire and Northamptonshire was abandoned on day one of play on Thursday after the umpires deemed the Bristol pitch too dangerous to play on.
A Gloucestershire statement read that the umpires felt there was a “foreseeable risk to the batters” on the hybrid pitch and that they expected an ECB investigation into the matter.
Northamptonshire were 116-2 in reply to Gloucestershire’s 125 before the umpires called a halt early in the final session, following blows to the hand for Ricardo Vasconcelos and Rob Keogh off the bowling of paceman Ajeet Singh Dale.
Both batters were forced to retire hurt, and the visitors said Vasconcelos had been taken to hospital with a suspected broken finger.
The hybrid pitch had been used by Gloucestershire before this season – against Middlesex in May and on a neighbouring pitch against Leicestershire earlier this week – with no issues arising.
But the hosts were bowled out in just 36.1 overs on Thursday before Northamptonshire’s retirement-laden reply.
“Gloucestershire’s match against Northants has been abandoned after the umpires deemed there to be ‘a foreseeable risk to the batters’,” read a Gloucestershire statement.
“Whilst we acknowledge that this is not something anyone would have wanted to happen, we need to see, understand and discuss the match referee’s report before making further comment on the decision.
“We expect there will be an ECB investigation and we will of course assist them at all stages of that investigation.”
The decision from the umpires followed consultations with both captains, the groundstaff, the match referee and the ECB pitch inspectors at Lord’s.
