Leicestershire are on the brink of relegation from Division One of the County Championship after being deducted 27 points for breaching pitch regulations in their victory over Glamorgan in August.
The points penalty imposed by the independent Cricket Discipline Panel midway through their penultimate match of the season means the Foxes have dropped to the bottom of the table.
The punishment included losing all 19 points earned in the win over Glamorgan, an extra eight-point penalty and a £5,000 fine. A further eight-point deduction has been suspended for a year.
Leicestershire can appeal within 10 working days.
In a statement,, external the club said it “notes the Cricket Discipline Panel’s decision” and was “reviewing its position and considering all available options”.
If the Foxes fail to beat Hampshire in their ongoing game at Uptonsteel Grace Road, their return to Division Two will be confirmed.
But they face a tough task to do so after Hampshire closed day two on 255-3 in their second innings – a lead of 225.
The Foxes’ battle to avoid the drop in their first season back in Division One after a 22-year exile had been boosted by the 42-run win over Glamorgan three weeks earlier.
Before that, they had won just one match on their top-flight return after winning promotion as Division Two title winners last season.
When Leicestershire beat Glamorgan on 23 August it was immediately clear they would be in for an anxious wait to discover if the way the pitch played would have consequences.
The match officials, led by referee Ian Ramage, asked for the ECB’s pitch and grounds advisor Andy Mackay to carry out an inspection after the game concluded.
After the match, Glamorgan head coach Richard Dawson said conditions were “tough” for batters.
Leicestershire head coach Alfonso Thomas added the surface had been prepared in the same way as the pitch used against Yorkshire – a game the Foxes won by an innings and 39 runs in June – although he acknowledged it was “a bit drier than what we wanted” for the match against Glamorgan.
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