ABCA appeals committee upholds two-day decision, Blackhawks expresses shock

The Liberta Sports Club has responded with shock following an announcement by the Antigua and Barbuda Cricket Association (ABCA) that the body’s appeals committee has upheld the disciplinary committee’s decision to award the Two Day Finals to Empire Nation cricket team. 
President of the sports club and coach of the PIC Liberta Blackhawks cricket team, Kenneth Benjamin, who called into the Good Morning JoJo Sports Show following the announcement, said they were never informed of a hearing. 
“I never heard about any case, we were never informed they were having any sitting so how can you have an appeal when we who filed the appeal weren’t present so nobody has ever heard our side up to now so obviously something is wrong. We appealed a decision and how come an appeals committee is going to make a decision when they never heard from us,” he said. 
In July, the cricket association’s disciplinary committee announced that Empire Nation had been awarded the match based on the report written by the officials when the incident occurred in June.
Benjamin said the Blackhawks have never been given an opportunity to present their argument to any of the committees that deliberated on the matter, suggesting that the recent announcement must have been in error. 
“Neither the cricket association or no committee ever heard our side so I cannot even be concerned about that because it makes no kind of sense. Once there is an appeal, you have to hear my side as to why I appealed so I think someone may have sent that by mistake because it makes no sense whatsoever,” he said.  
Reports are that Blackhawks had argued the legitimacy of allowing one Empire Nation player, Damian Lowenfield, to bat at number three in the order, after the said player had left the match  because of work commitments after batting on the previous day.
Blackhawks argued that, in accordance with the laws of the game, Lowenfield was only eligible to bat after five wickets had fallen. Empire were reportedly 77 for three at the time of the dispute.
Blackhawks were ahead on first innings when the incident occurred.