Oxford Cricket Club captain Ian Crosby has been banned for two matches, following his scathing criticism of umpires in a match last week.

Crosby’s comments, which appeared in the Oxford Mail, came following their one-wicket defeat by Horspath in Division 1 of the Serious Cricket Home Counties Premier League.

He was fuming at the decision of umpires Martin Thomas and Phil Hirst to award Horspath six penalty runs for his side failing to start their 50th and final over in the allocated time of three hours and 20 minutes.

Crosby claimed he had been told by Hirst that Oxford were within the allotted time, only to find out after the first ball of the last over that penalty runs were being awarded.

With five runs coming off the next two balls, Horspath had passed their target and both sides thought the game was over.

But the umpires then ruled that the final three deliveries had to be bowled.

The Oxford captain said: “It was the worst display of umpiring I have seen in 11 years in that league.

“It was an absolute disgrace and ruined what was a really good game.”

The league’s disciplinary committee took exception to these remarks and charged the Oxford captain under the England and Wales Cricket Board’s disciplinary regulation 2.1.8.

This states: “Players and club officials shall not make any public or media comment which is detrimental to the League, clubs, umpires or the game in general.

"In this instance, media shall include press, radio, television, external websites, club websites, social networking sites and club match programmes.”

Crosby, who did not contest the charge, was found guilty of a ‘level two’ offence, which means a two-match ban.

The league’s disciplinary chairman, Dave Burden, said: “The remarks he made against umpires were totally unacceptable.”

Burden stressed that the ban refers to two games actually played.

Oxford’s cancelled game at Banbury last Saturday does not count, so Crosby, whose side lie bottom of the table, will now miss the next two matches at home to Harefield this Saturday and away to leaders Henley on Saturday, July 27.

Crosby said: “I accept that the league are quite within their rights to ban me.”