Essex's chances of winning the County Championship are effectively over after being docked 12 points by the Cricket Discipline Commission (CDC) due to Feroze Khushi using an oversized bat in a match against Nottinghamshire in April. Khushi's bat failed an on-field gauge test, and despite Essex's appeal citing procedural irregularities and inconsistencies in bat gauge compliance, the penalty was upheld. This deduction leaves Essex trailing Division One leaders Surrey by 56 points with only two matches remaining. Essex president Keith Fletcher criticized the decision, calling it 'absolutely stupid' and arguing that the entire team has been unfairly penalized for a minor infraction. The club plans to formally address their concerns about the bat gauge inconsistencies with the Cricket Regulator and the ECB to improve future regulatory processes.