New Zealand Test batter Henry Nicholls cleared of ball tampering charges

New Delhi, Nov 12: A New Zealand Cricket Code of Conduct hearing has cleared Test batter Henry Nicholls of ball tampering charges reported during a Plunket Shield match.

Nicholls was seen brushing the ball against a helmet during a change of ends in TV footage of the Plunket Shield match between Canterbury and Auckland last week.

He was reported under Rule 3.1, Article 1.15 of the Code of Conduct which involves changing the condition of the ball in breach of Law 41.3 of the Laws of Cricket

According to the ESPN Cricinfo report, a disciplinary hearing cleared the 31-year-old batter of the ball-tampering charges stating “that neither actions of Nicholls nor the evidence presented met the threshold required to rule a breach.”

“We find the Player’s actions were, in fact, unlikely to alter the condition of the ball or the shape of the ball,” the commissioners noted.

“That meant any allegation of unacceptable behaviour under Rule 3.1 could not be upheld. The charge against the Player was therefore dismissed,” An NZC statement further read.
Nicholls is free to play in Canterbury’s next match and is due to tour Bangladesh with the New Zealand team later this month.