Leicestershire have been hit with a 27-point penalty after the Cricket Discipline Panel upheld a charge relating to a poor pitch during their County Championship clash against Glamorgan. The decision has left the club facing a major setback in their bid to remain in Division One. The Grace Road pitch curator, Callum Lewin, had argued that several factors beyond his control contributed to the condition of the surface.

He told the Cricket Regulator that an unscheduled Bollywood film shoot took place at the venue four days before the match, preventing him from carrying out his usual work on the pitch. “It is a used pitch this time around. We had two T20s on it 10 weeks ago. There were a lot of circumstances leading up to the game that were just out of my control, such as the weather being 35 degrees,” Lewin said.

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“We also had an unscheduled Bollywood filming event four days before (the match vs Glamorgan) and I was not allowed to work on the pitch. I was not allowed to cover it or anything,” he added.

However, the disciplinary panel did not accept the filming as a mitigating circumstance. It noted that the Bollywood production at Grace Road lasted only one day and therefore did not provide sufficient grounds to reduce the penalty.

Leicestershire decision understandably provoking plenty of reaction.

Officials very wary of marking down pitches, such are these consequences. But a big difference between low-scoring decks that seam and surfaces that are verging on dangerous.

These are consecutive deliveries: pic.twitter.com/Q89jTEb0fr

— Nick Friend (@NickFriend1) September 17, 2026

The panel upheld the Cricket Regulator’s charge of a “poor pitch” and removed the 19 points Leicestershire earned from their 42-run victory over Glamorgan last month. An additional eight-point penalty was imposed, taking the total deduction to 27 points. The club was also fined £5,000.

Leicestershire have 10 days to appeal the verdict. The points deduction has put the Foxes under significant pressure in the County Championship Division One standings.

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The match referee, Ian Ramage, documented 43 instances of uneven bounce during the game. The disciplinary panel noted that the surface developed moving cracks, contributing to inconsistent bounce and raising concerns about the pitch quality.

The verdict has also sparked discussion about pitch assessments in county cricket, with concerns over how heavily teams can be penalised for surfaces that are deemed below the required standard. The case has renewed attention on the balance between challenging low-scoring pitches and surfaces that present potential safety concerns for batters.