Nightcliff captain Michael Kudra suspended for showing dissent during the 50-over Premier Grade grand final

Obscene abuse, playing under a false name and smashing bats against a wall were just some of the offences which had Darwin cricketers suspended in the past two weeks.

Seven players have been suspended following an unprecedented two weekends of bad behaviour in Darwin cricket.

The slew of charges included obscene abuse, a player competing under a false name and two batters smashing their blades so loud against a wall the central umpires could hear it.

Nightcliff captain Michael Kudra was charged for dissent following an umpire’s decision during the Premier Grade 50-over grand final on May 28.

He reportedly showed “excessive, obvious disappointment”, a Darwin & Districts Cricket Competition tribunal report has since revealed.

It came following Kudra’s dismissal in the 36th over against Waratah at DXC Arena.

Kudra was caught by the wicket keeper and opposition captain Isaac Conway off the bowling of Madura Weerasinghe for 27 runs at a delicate period, leaving the Tigers 5/137 chasing 190 for victory.

Nightcliff captain Michael Kudra after showing dissent following his dismissal in the one day final. Picture: Patch Clapp

He elected not to appeal the decision, which was then dealt with by the competition.

Darwin Cricket Management Committee president Lachlan Baird said the incident was out of character for Kudra while calling it an “out of the box weekend”.

“Michael has shown contrition and remorse into what is undoubtedly an out of character act for one of the Territory’s rising cricket stars,” Baird said.

“It should be noted that in the absence of the amended fixed penalty system introduced by clubs at the end of the 2022 season, Michael would not have been suspended for a first report of Level 1 dissent.”

Meanwhile, six players received bans following incidents the previous weekend of May 20 and 21, including three in Premier Grade.

PINT’s Sanka Wijegunarathna unsuccessfully appealed a ban of three playing days for using serious, obscene or insulting language on May 20 in a Premier Grade match at DXC Arena against Waratah.

This publication has chosen not to publish the full details of the incident until a written decision has been produced.

Tracy Village’s Sanjay Anandrajah and Vincent Huf were both banned for a week for wilfully mistreating any part of the cricket ground, equipment or implements in games on the same day in a round 6 Premier Grade match against Southern Districts at Gerry Wood Oval.

Huf and Anandrajah both hit their bats against a wall of the change rooms with “sufficient force to be clearly heard by the standing officials appointed to the game,” the report read.

Southern Districts’ Zach Cluff also copped a week for obscene language and wilfully mistreating any part of the cricket ground, equipment or implements, also on May 20.

Cluff made an “audible obscenity when dismissed” and smashed his helmet and bat on the fence line and “continued to loudly remonstrate in relation to the dismissal” in a B Grade match against Tracy Village at Tracy Village Oval.

PINT’s Sanka Wijegunarathna unsuccessfully appealed a ban of three playing days. Picture: Glenn Campbell

PINT captain Manmeet Singh and teammate Gurjot Singh were also handed one week bans for any other misconduct not defined by the code of conduct.

However, each of their bans have been suspended for 12 months.

“(They) knowingly played, or was captain of a playing XI that allowed a player to be played under an incorrect name,” the report revealed.

Waratah’s Umesh Thurairajah was also banned for one match for an obscene gesture in the Sunday Division 1 competition on May 21 at Gardens Oval against PINT.

Tracy Village skipper Max Hatzoglou received a reprimand for dissent after being dismissed LBW by Blake Coburn in a Premier Grade match against Darwin at Kahlin Oval in round 3.

Nightcliff’s Nick Wheeler received a day’s ban for wilfully mistreating any part of the cricket ground, equipment or implements used in the B Grade match in round 4.

He broke the stumps with his bat after being dismissed LBW for a golden duck against PINT at Nightcliff Oval.

Baird said the D&DCC was always looking at ways to better inform the community about tribunal hearings.

It currently sends regular updates to all clubs and publishes all tribunal determinations on its website.

“Our disciplinary process has come a long way in recent seasons,” Baird said.

He said the committee was prepared to explore the idea of sending out alerts for greater transparency, as AFLNT does with all charges resulting from NTFL Men’s and Women’s Premier League games, whether they are upheld or dismissed.

However, he said the penalty system for lower level code of conduct offences supported officials to “ease the burden” on volunteer commissioners, in a situation which was a “little bit different to the NTFL”.