Kent needed just ninety minutes to beat Essex on Friday in the County Championship game at Canterbury but were docked eight points by a pitch panel.
Starting the day needing just the one wicket to wrap up the Essex innings, Kent picked up the scalp of Tom Craddock caught behind for just one, with James Foster stranded on 49 not out as the visitors set a target of just seventy to win.
It was on loan seamer David Balcombe that picked up the wicket, taking his match figures to 10 for 102 – his first ten wicket haul in county cricket.
With a day and 91 overs to pursue their modest target of 70, Kent lost Daniel Bell-Drummond to a loose drive to short extra cover then Sam Northeast, pinned leg before on the back foot, with both wickets going to Graham Napier.
Bell-Drummond soon returned to run for the injured van Jaarsveld, but wickets continued to fall as Darren Stevens edged behind to give Napier three for 42 and Joe Denly fell lbw for 17 to a shooting off-cutter from David Masters.
It proved the final success for Essex, however, as Van Jaarsveld combined with skipper Geraint Jones (28 off 14 balls) to see the hosts over the winning line.
Jones played a captain’s cameo that included six boundaries, while Van Jaarsveld, batting virtually on one leg, plundered a six and four off Napier to secure Kent’s victory just before 12.30pm.
Just under three hours later, though, their celebrations were tempered by a statement from the England and Wales Cricket Board which read: “An ECB pitch panel comprising John Jameson and Tony Pigott (pitch liaison officers) was convened to consider the pitch used for the LV= County Championship match at Canterbury commencing on 31 August 2011 between Kent and Essex.
“After interviewing the umpires, the captain and coach of both teams and the Kent head groundsman, the pitch panel determined that the pitch had demonstrated excessive unevenness of bounce and should therefore be rated ‘poor’.
“As a consequence and according to regulations, Kent are penalised eight points which will be deducted from their aggregate of 2011 LV= County Championship points.”
Commenting on the decision, Chief Executive Officer, Jamie Clifford, said; “The hectic August schedule at Canterbury and bad weather last week have made pitch preparation difficult, but we accept the findings of the Pitch Panel, and do not plan to appeal.”
Essex won the toss and elected to bat.
Umpires: Cook, S J O’Shaughnessy.
Kent: Denly, Bell-Drummond, Northeast, van Jaarsveld, Stevens, Jones (C/W), Tredwell, Ball, Coles, Balcombe, Riley.
Essex: Godleman, Westley, Shah, Mickleburgh, Wheater, Foster (C/W), ten Doeschate, Napier, Masters, Chambers, Craddock.
Result: Essex 144 all out & 185 all out, Kent 260 all out & 72 for 4. Kent won by 6 wickets