SWINDON Civil Service have had a player banned for 18 league matches after he allegedly assaulted a player from Beanacre and Melksham.

The Wiltshire County League Division One match, which was abandoned after the altercation on June 20, saw a 41-year-old man from the Swindon Civil Service team arrested on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm.

The Wiltshire League have now concluded their investigations into the incident and have banned the Civil Service player for 18 matches, four of which have been suspended, effectively banning the player from all Saturday league cricket which is played under the jurisdiction of the ECB until June next year after finding him guilty of a level four offence.

The Beanacre player involved in the fracas has also had a ban imposed for his part in the build-up to the incident and has been suspended for four games after being found guilty of a level two offence, the League's Disciplinary Panel agreeing to treat the offence as an isolated incident.

Meanwhile, the league have also deducted both teams 10 points after it was deemed that their actions effectively forfeited the fixture.