THE Purnell CC bowler who sparked "unsavoury scenes" at the end of their Somerset Cricket League match against Minehead 2nds on Saturday has been slapped with a nine-game ban.

The bowler, who has not yet been named, threw the final ball of the match for a no-ball four to hand Minehead victory but deny Jay Darrell a first league century for the club - the batsman was left stranded on 98 not out.

READ MORE: Piers Morgan and Sky Sports weigh in as controversy erupts at Minehead cricket match

The Somerset Cricket League have today (Tuesday) released the following statement:

"The Somerset Cricket League has noted the details of an incident that occurred in the Division 2 match between Minehead 2nd XI v Purnells CC, played on 4th August 2018.

"The SCL Disciplinary Committee has reviewed the incident. The incident in its opinion brought the SCL and Cricket in general into disrepute and contained behaviour that was against the Spirit of the Game.

"As a result of this review, a Purnells CC player has been banned for the next nine completed SCL matches.

"The SCL have been asked by Purnells CC to clarify that the player banned, is NOT Ronnie Casling, as has been incorrectly reported in a national newspaper."

With four league matches left to play in the division this season, the punishment will roll over until the 2019 summer and effectively rule the player concerned out until June.

Piers Morgan and former England cricketer Rob Key were among those to have their say, with the Good Morning Britain host labelling the behaviour "pathetic".

Minehead, meanwhile, said: "The unsavoury scenes marred what otherwise was a sensational chase."