Times Media
TELFORD VICE, Galle
Vernon Philander became the second SA cricketer in eight months to be found guilty of ball-tampering in Galle last night.
Philander did not contest charges of illegally changing the condition of the ball following the third day's play in the first test against Sri Lanka yesterday.
Faf du Plessis was convicted of the same offence during SA's test series against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates in October last year for rubbing the ball on a zip in his trousers.
An International Cricket Council (ICC) statement last night said the officials had decided to act after "viewing television footage" that "was not aired during live coverage" of the match.
Philander, the statement said, was found guilty of illegally "scratching the surface (of the ball) with his fingers and thumb" and fined 75% of his match fee.
However, Philander escaped the one-match ban that could also have been imposed on him in terms of the ICC code of conduct.
The umpires, Billy Bowden, Richard Kettleborough, Nigel Long and Ruchiram Palliyaguruge, and match referee Jeff Crowe laid the charges against Philander.
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