Cricket

Australia captain Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner have both been handed 12-month bans by Cricket Australia for their parts in the ball-tampering scandal that has rocked the sporting world.

This ban means they are banned from playing cricket in Australia for the next year. Cameron Bancroft has also been handed a nine-month ban.

Australia captain Steve Smith has stepped down as captain of IPL side Rajasthan Royals.

Smith is embroiled in a ball-tampering controversy that happened in the Australia v South Africa test.

England cricket fans are waking up to total embarrassment in the first test against New Zealand, where the hosts skittled Joe Root's side out for just 58 runs!

England innings, which didn't even last the opening session, included five ducks including Joe Root and Ben Stokes and the tourists were 27-9 at one point and in danger of recording their worst ever innings total (45), but Graig Overton managed to steer them past that total in a last wicket stand with James Anderson that surpassed the rest of their team's total.

In reply, New Zealand are experiencing no such problems with the bat, currently 168/3.

England's poor run of form continued on Sunday, as Eoin Morgan's men were beaten by New Zealand by three wickets in the first of five one-day internationals in Hamilton.

Having posted a score of 284-8, with Joe Root top scoring on 71, England then had New Zealand teetering at 27-3, but a fine century from Ross Taylor and a fine 79 from Tom Latham brought the Black Caps back into the game, and with nine runs needed off the last over, Mitchell Santner smashed Chris Woakes into the crowd with a match-winning six.

England edged out New Zealand by two runs in their Twenty20 tri-series semi-final, however they missed out on a place in the final against Australia.

England set their opponents a target of 195 to win the match after Eoin Morgan battered 80 not out. Their defence didn't start well but they eventually held on to win the match after it went to the last ball, however they agonisingly failed to reach the final on run rate.