Ben Stokes has been slapped with a 15 per cent fine of his match fee and handed one demerit point for his angry outburst at a fan during England’s fourth Test against South Africa.
Stokes was walking off the field after being dismissed for two on the first evening at the Wanderers in Johannesburg, when he became enraged at what he later described as ‘repeated abuse from the crowd’.
He launched into a foul-mouthed response as he approached the distinctive players’ tunnel, with his comments captured by the host network’s cameras and relayed via Sky Sports in the UK.
Stokes went on to issue an apology for his ‘unprofessional’ actions and accepted a charge from match referee Andy Pycroft, who activated article 2.3 of the International Cricket Council’s disciplinary code.
That covers ‘the use of words commonly known and understood to be offensive, obscene and/or profane and which can be heard by the spectators and/or the viewing public’ – the same charge and the same punishment handed to Jos Buttler after he swore at Vernon Philander during the Cape Town Test.
Otherwise, it was a great day for England, who took control of the fourth Test against South Africa on day two by dominating the hosts with bat and ball.
Resuming on 192 for four, Joe Root and Ollie Pope both reached 50 before tail-enders Mark Wood and Stuart Broad took England’s first innings total to 400 with some magnificent hitting.
The tourists then ripped through South Africa’s top order with the ball, reducing them to 88 for six at stumps.
Mark Wood took three wickets, including one with the final ball of the day, while Ben Stokes, Sam Curran, and Chris Wokes shared the other three.
It puts England in a commanding position with three days to go in the final Test, especially given they only need a draw to win the series.
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