KENT chief executive Paul Millman says the county may appeal after being docked eight points by a three-man ECB disciplinary panel convened in Maidstone.

Some 27 wickets fell on the opening two days of the Festival Week clash with Gloucestershire at The Mote, leading to an inestigation into a green and surprisingly damp wicket.

Pitch liaison officer and former Sussex seamer Tony Pigott summoned the technical expertise of former Lancashire skipper David Hughes and Surrey’s legendary groundsman Harry Brind after a day that saw action in three innings and the loss of 18 wickets .

Pigott emerged from the two-and-a-half hour enquiry to say the panel had rated the pitch poor and that Kent would be deducted eight points.

After the announcement Kent’s chief executive Paul Millman said he believed there were mitigating circumstances and grounds for appeal.

“It’s the first time pitch inspectors have come to The Mote since we first started playing here in 1859, so obviously I’m very disappointed for Kent cricket,” said Millman.

“It was a very thorough process, there is a certain amount of confidentiality associated with it, but we have 24 hours to lodge an appeal.

“We couldn’t have predicted the weather we have had, extreme heat last Friday followed by a wet weekend, which means pitch preparation isn’t easy. I wouldn’t want to be a groundsman for anything.”