Dunnington have been suspended from the Costcutter York and District Senior Cricket League and will be relegated at the end of the season.

How Dunnington were hit for six

May 22, Thirsk v Dunnington Grant uses foul language and is deemed to have behaved unacceptably towards a spectator amid allegations he was subjected to racial abuse.

May 22, Easingwold v Dunnington Grant uses foul language and violent behaviour culminating in the destruction of a chair.

July 20, Grant sentenced to nine weeks ban - six weeks for Easingwold - by Costcutter League;s disciplinary committee.

August 4, Grant appeals against six weeks ban handed out over incident at Thirsk but sentence upheld by league's appeals committee.

August 7, Grant's ban comes into effect, misses match with Easingwold at Common Road, then Dunnington demand a new appeal amid accusations Grant was denied a fair hearing by the disciplinary committee.

August 24, Extraordinary general meeting held at Stillington after Dunnington fail to give the league a written assurance they accepted suspensions handed out to Grant. Dunnington suspended and will be relegated at the end of the season. Will have to seek re-election.

The club, whose first team were on course for a league and cup double, will also have to seek re-election at the league's annual meeting.

Member clubs voted unanimously to punish the club at an extra-ordinary general meeting at Stillington last night after Dunnington failed to give the league a written assurance that they accepted suspensions issued to their fast bowler, Joseph Grant.

Dunnington's first team, which beat Whitkirk in the League Cup final at the weekend, lead the Premier Division by 18 points with three games remaining.

Their playing record will remain intact, but the clubs they were due to face in their remaining games - Woodhouse Grange, Pickering and Heworth - will all receive a maximum 24 points. None of those three clubs are in a position to overhaul Dunnington, but the suspension will benefit second placed Clifton Alliance who now seem likely to go on to take the championship.

Dunnington will start next season in division one, and their second team seem likely to drop two divisions.

Dunnington II are currently bottom of division two and, because they have been suspended for their final three games against Woodhouse Grange II, Pickering II and Heworth II, will automatically drop into division three.

On top of that, the relegation imposed last night will also come into play so Dunnington II will start next season in division four - providing the Dunnington club as a whole is re-elected at the annual general meeting.

"It is an extremely sad day for the league," said league secretary Albert Pattison. "I am sure that this all could have been avoided if Dunnington had accepted the original decision of the league."

Forty three of the 44 member clubs were represented at last night's meeting, including Dunnington.

However, as the matter of their suspension was being dealt with at the beginning of the meeting, the club's representatives, chairman Colin Graves and club secretary Bob Smith, were asked to leave the meeting while the issue was discussed. They waited outside the meeting until the vote was taken and were then told of the outcome.

Ironically, Graves is managing director of Costcutter, sponsors of the league. He declined to comment on the punishment handed out to Dunnington when contacted by the Evening Press today.

Grant had been suspended for a total of nine weeks for two separate offences involving Thirsk and Easingwold, the latter for damage to some furniture.

Dunnington, who claim there were racial overtones to the Thirsk offence, appealed against the suspension.

The appeal, heard at Osbaldwick, upheld the league's decision but Dunnington maintained the ban was too lengthy and disputed some of the evidence and asked for a second independent hearing.

As the Senior League did not have a mechanism to allow a second appeal, they called last night's extra-ordinary general meeting in which clubs backed the league.

Grant, who had taken 45 wickets this season, has not played since August 7 when the ban came into effect.

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