Their season has not even started, yet one local cricket club's hopes of defending their title successfully have already been hit for six.

Leadgate, winners of the Readers Durham County League last season, have been docked 100 points, fined £50 and kicked out of both league cups after they broke league rules by applying to play in another league.

A league disciplinary committee meted out the harsh punishment earlier this week after it agreed that the reigning champions had contravened league rules by applying to play in the Tyneside Senior League while still a member of the County League.

The unfortunate Consett club are due to appeal against the action on Wednesday night at a special hearing, but the club's former vice-captain, Richard Hawthorn, has labelled the league's actions as disgusting.

Hawthorn, who left the club at the end of last season to play for North-East Premier side Sunderland, said: "The league's actions are just unbelievable. They have broken the league's rules, but to deduct 100 points is just ridiculous.

"The league have basically denied them the right to defend their title. Taking off 100 points is like taking off five wins, and when you consider they won the league last season by only 11 points, their chances of lifting the trophy again are impossible."

However, league secretary Roy Coates has defended the disciplinary committee's actions by stating that this is not the first time that Leadgate have attempted to leave the league.

He said: "In the last four years they have applied to another league on at least three occasions and we have warned them several times over their conduct.

"They have broken the rules. I don't think the deduction of 100 points is too harsh at all - the committee could have kicked them out altogether. They don't want to be in this league anyway."

"What makes this worse is that we found out in The Northern Echo they were applying to another league."

This latest spat is not the first time Leadgate and the league have clashed. In 1999, they withdrew their application to another league after being warned by County League officials. And last season, the two clashed over a rain-affected fixture.