Bradford League: Bradford & Bingley's former Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire all-rounder David Pennett has been suspended for the rest of the season for swearing at an umpire.

The incident happened during his club's home match against Bankfoot on August 14.

A statement from the Bradford League said that Pennett admitted using foul and abusive language on the field of play and showed dissent at an umpire's decision when he was given out.

His actions were in breach of both the ECB Code of Conduct and the ECB Spirit of Cricket, said the Bradford League.

The suspension runs from August 25 to September 22 - four days after the league programme finishes - and Pennett's absence will be a blow to Bingley who are fighting against relegation from the First Division. He also plays for Cumberland in the Minor Counties.

Bradford & Bingley face Undercliffe tomorrow.

The relegation battle is still unresolved and the big game tomorrow sees Spen Victoria visit Cleckheaton.

Andrew Bethel's side have not won a match in the second half of the season and with only eight points from eight matches they are now third from bottom - five points adrift of Brighouse.

It's a sad state of affairs for one of the league's best-supported clubs, with facilities to match, and Bethel describes tomorrow's match as 'one of the biggest games I have played in in my seven years as Spen captain.'

He said: "I am looking forward to playing at Cleckheaton because it is a good cricket wicket with something for everyone.

"Although we are third from bottom, we are not being hammered, but little mistakes are proving costly.

"We are making too many mistakes in the field and they are mounting up, and in one match we bowled 22 no balls.

"Cleckheaton have two match- winners in Chris Pickles and Indian off-spinner Kanwaljeet Singh, whereas, although our character and team spirit are good and we are all fighters, we don't have a match-winner."

Pickles spent nine years at Spen and passed the 1,000 run mark in three successive seasons for them.

Brighouse meet next-to-bottom Yorkshire Bank in the day's other big relegation battle.

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