The charge was brought under Rule 3.1, Article 1.15 of New Zealand Cricket’s code of conduct, which involves changing the condition of the ball in breach of Law 41.3 of the Laws of Cricket.
However, a disciplinary hearing concluded “that neither Nicholls’ actions nor the evidence presented met the threshold required to declare a violation.”
“We found that, in fact, the player’s actions were unlikely to alter the condition or shape of the ball,” the commissioners noted.
An NZC statement continued: “This meant that any allegations of unacceptable behavior under Rule 3.1 could not be substantiated. Therefore, the charge against the player was dismissed.”
The disciplinary hearing held on Saturday by independent commissioners Lee Robinson and John Greenwood examined the evidence and heard submissions from Nicholls, match officials Kim Cotton and Derek Walker, Canterbury coach Peter Fulton, Canterbury’s high performance manager. Canterbury, Ant Sharp, and the representative of the New Zealand Cricketers’ Association. , Evan Jones.
Nicholls made 120 and 30 not out in the match, helping Canterbury take eight wickets. They currently sit in fourth place on the Plunket Shield table.
Nicholls will be part of the New Zealand squad for the upcoming two-Test series in Bangladesh following the ODI World Cup.
