South Africa v Australia third Test: Australia in ball-tampering row

18:28 · SAT March 24, 2018

Captain Steve Smith has admitted Australia deliberately tampered with the ball during the third Test against South Africa.

Day three report

Captain Steve Smith has admitted Australia deliberately tampered with the ball during the third Test against South Africa.

Smith said he was "incredibly sorry" for bringing the game "into disrepute" after team-mate Cameron Bancroft was caught rubbing a piece of tape, coated with dust from the pitch, on the ball while fielding.

Bancroft attempted, after speaking to 12th man Peter Handscomb, to hide the tape down his trousers but the video evidence was clear and he was charged by the match officials after play finished on day three in Cape Town.

He and Smith appeared afterwards at a press conference, broadcast live on Periscope by Cricket South Africa, at which Smith said: "The leadership group knew about it and spoke about it at lunch.

"I'm not proud of what's happened, it's not within the spirit of the game. My integrity and the integrity of the leadership group has come into question, and rightfully so."

On-field umpires Nigel Llong and Richard Illingworth, both from England, took no action after speaking to Bancroft but he was charged after the day's play.

Bancroft said: "We had a discussion with the match officials and I've been charged with attempting to change the condition of the ball.

"I was in the vicinity when the leadership group were discussing it. I was obviously nervous and with hundreds of cameras it's always a risk.

"We had a discussion during the break and on myself, I saw an opportunity to use some tape and granules from rough patches of the wicket to change the ball's condition.

"Once I was sighted on the screen I panicked quite a lot, and that's why I shoved it down my trousers."

Smith declined to "name names" but insisted the decision was taken by players rather than the coaching staff.

"It's not on, it's certainly not and it won't happen again under my leadership," he said.

"We thought it was a possible way to get an advantage, obviously it didn't work. It was a poor choice and I deeply regret our actions.

"I'm embarrassed and I feel for Cam as well. Being the leader of the team, I'm incredibly sorry for, I guess, trying to bring the game into disrepute."

He insisted, though: "I won't consider stepping down.

"I take responsibility as captain and I need to take control of the ship. It's something I'm not proud of, I'm embarrassed. It's a big error in judgement and we'll learn from it."

South Africa took a commanding 294-run lead in the match after reaching 238 for five in their second innings, Aiden Markram with 84 and AB de Villiers adding 51 not out.

That left them on course to take a 2-1 series lead into next week's final Test in Johannesburg but the match was overshadowed by the Bancroft incident.

Former England captain Nasser Hussain led the condemnation of Australia's actions and referenced the 1994 incident which saw then-England skipper Michael Atherton fined for using dirt in his pocket to dry the ball.

"Michael Atherton had a 'brainfade'," Hussain told Sky Sports. "This looks more like a pre-meditated, 'We are going to tamper with the ball'.

"You don't just have a bit of sandpaper, or whatever that yellow piece was that he tries to hide down his pants. That's a pre-meditated thing you take out there with you.

"You get the ball thrown to you, you scratch it up, you try and hide it down your pants, and when the umpires catch you out you say it's a sunglasses case. It looks terrible."

Former Australia spinner Shane Warne had stern words for his former team, telling Sky Sports: "You can't have that in the game.

"I don't have any issue with anyone if they are sucking on a mint or chewing some gum, that's just natural saliva. But if you use a foreign object then that has to be seriously looked at."

Day two report

Nathan Lyon rescued Australia against South Africa in Cape Town to keep the tourists in the third Test at Cape Town.

The tourists were 136 runs behind on 175 for eight before Lyon hit a career-best 47 off 38 balls to put 66 on for the ninth wicket with Tim Paine.

Australia ended day two, when bad light stopped play, on 245 for nine, chasing South Africa's 311 all out. The teams are locked at 1-1 after two Tests.

Sky Bet make South Africa the odds-on favourites for victory at 1/2.

Australia can be backed for the win at 2/1 and the draw is on offer at 10/1.

Dean Elgar (141 all out) had earlier carried his bat through South Africa's innings to become only the second man in Test history to achieve the feat three times.

Kagiso Rabada - playing after a two-match ban for making physical contact with Australia captain Steve Smith was overturned - took three for 81 for South Africa but Lyon's late intervention with Paine (33 not out) frustrated the hosts.

South Africa were 266 for eight overnight but Rabada (22) helped take them past 300.

Pat Cummins claimed four for 78 for Australia, who were reduced to 72 for three in their reply with Usman Khawaja, Smith and David Warner all failing to seriously score - the latter exchanging words with a spectator on his way back to the pavilion.

Cameron Bancroft's 77 helped drag them to 150 before he and Shaun Marsh (26) both fell to Morne Morkel.

Mitchell Marsh, Cummins and Mitchell Starc were then dismissed although Lyon kept Australia in the contest, eventually becoming Morkel's fourth victim to leave Paine and Josh Hazlewood at the crease.

Day one report

South Africa opener Dean Elgar struck an unbeaten century before Pat Cummins led a late Australia fightback on the opening day of the third Test in Cape Town.

The Proteas were making full use of their decision to bat first by breezing to 220 for two courtesy of Elgar and AB de Villiers.

But De Villiers' departure for 64 triggered a dramatic collapse as Cummins ripped through the middle order, taking four wickets to help reduce South Africa to 266 for eight at the close.

Elgar batted through the day for his 121, hitting 17 fours and one six from 253 balls, and shared stands of 86 and 128 with Hashim Amla and De Villiers respectively.

Despite South Africa's dominance with the bat, Cummins changed the complexion of the match in the final session.

The paceman followed up the dismissal of De Villiers by removing Faf du Plessis, Temba Bavuma and Quinton de Kock cheaply during a collapse of six wickets for 37 runs.

Elgar, dropped by Nathan Lyon on 53, stood firm and had Kagiso Rabada, who was cleared to play this week after having a two-match ban overturned, for company at stumps.