Specsavers sorry to Kevin Pietersen for Hot Spot row The offending advert was part of the company's Should Have Gone To Specsavers campaign. It followed allegations made by an Australian television channel during the recent Ashes series that Hot Spot's infrared technology, part of the controversial Decision Review System, was failing because batsmen were applying silicone tape to their bats. During the Ashes series Pietersen angrily denied that he would ever apply tape in order to deceive umpires. Pietersen tweeted: "Horrible journalism yet again! My name brought up in hotspot crisis sug­gesting I use silicon to prevent nicks showing! Such hurtful lies. I am never afraid of getting out! If I nick it, I'll walk. To suggest I cheat by covering my bat with silicon infuriates me. How stupid would I be to try & hide a nick when it could save me on an LBW appeal, like in 1st innings where hotspot showed I nicked it. Specsavers was unavailable for comment on Wednesday night. Meanwhile, Northamptonshire have offered batsman David Sales a new one-year contract for next season. Sales, 35, had a clause in his previous contract, which expired on Monday, that triggered a new deal if he scored 1,000 first-class runs. He missed that target by 81 runs but, with three centuries in the second half of the season to help Northants to win County Championship promotion, he has been offered a deal. Northants have set Sales a deadline of the middle of the month to decide if he intends to stay at Wantage Road.