SANCTIONS imposed on Durham Cricket Club over a financial bail-out were “harsh but appropriate”, according to the England and Wales Cricket Board’s chief executive.

The comments, however, were immediately rejected by Durham North’s MP Kevan Jones, who has filed an Early Day Motion at the House of Commons demanding the ECB explain their handling of the situation.

County Championship winners as recently as 2013, the club will play next summer in Division Two and with a 48-point deduction after agreeing a £3.8m package of aid from the ECB to help with outstanding debts.

Further points deductions apply in the limited-overs competitions, while the ECB will also withhold prize money from the club.

ECB chief Tom Harrison told BBC Radio’s Test Match Special programme: “The priority was safeguarding the future of professional and recreational cricket in the North-East, and it’s a big tick in the box next to that.

“We’re now in a position where we have to send a message about precedent, that it’s not something that’s going to be an attractive solution to counties in that position. It’s not the ECB’s job to be a lender.

“The playing sanctions are harsh but they’re appropriate. Durham could be, in 12 months’ time, off and running with no debt, new management and board and released from special conditions.

“It’s harsh in terms of penalties on players for next year, but it’s a significant deterrent to any counties finding themselves in that situation.”

Part of the financial pressure on Durham may have stemmed from bidding for international matches.

Chester-le-Street has staged six England Tests since 2003 but, aside from an Ashes match in 2013, they have been in early summer.

Mr Jones said: “There are other clubs with an equal amount of debt that Durham had.

“And what these harsh conditions do not take into consideration is the limited finances that regional clubs, like in the North-East, can actually raise.

“It is not a level playing field and the sanctions are out of all proportion and will do great damage to not only first team cricket, but to all those aspiring to take part in cricket.”

The county will be blocked from bidding for Tests as part of the ECB sanctions, though the ground could still host limited-overs internationals.

The motion was signed by North-East Labour MPs Jenny Chapman (Darlington), Catherine McKinnell (Newcastle North) and Phil Wilson (Sedgefield), as well as Berwick’s Conservative MP Anne-Marie Trevelyan, Jim Cunningham (Lab, Coventry South), Alan Meale (Lab, Mansfield), Jim Shannon (DUP, Strangford) and Karl Turner (Lab, Hull East).