GREENMOUNT wicketkeeper Damion Keegan has been banned for six weeks by the Greater Manchester Cricket League for abusive comments made on Twitter.

The first-team regular also faces an additional four-week suspended ban, which will carry over into next season, if he makes further inappropriate comments on social media.

Keegan was cited by the league after comments he made in the wake of a win for the GMCL Under-21s against the Bolton League in a friendly.

His Greenmount club-mate, overseas player Jonathan Sammut, was instrumental in the victory, scoring an unbeaten 166 to earn the man-of-the-match award.

After concerns were expressed playing the Australian was against the spirit of the friendly, contravening a rule that would have been enforced had it been a competitive fixture, it was concluded the player would only be given £50 of his £100 man-of-the-match prize.

Keegan’s reaction to the decision, which he expressed on Twitter, overstepped the mark according to the GMCL’s disciplinary committee, and the league – which is in its debut season – handed out its most severe punishment to date.

Greenmount spokesman Gareth Williams said the club was seeking clarification about the disciplinary process. It is not yet known if they will appeal against the severity of the ban.