Controversial Australian batsman David Warner had to be separated from South Africa A wicketkeeper Thami Tsolekile during his 33-run second innings Saturday. The umpires intervened twice at LC de Villiers Oval in South African Highveld city Pretoria after sledging between the pair became heated for the second consecutive day. Vaughn van Jaarsveld pulled Tsolekile away from Warner as the war of words boiled over on the final day of a four-day match staged in warm mid-winter conditions.
"No report has been filed by the umpires and no action will therefore be taken," said a Cricket Australia statement responding to the drama. Warner failed to match his superb 193-run first innings, but hit six fours off 53 balls before being caught by Tsolekile off the bowling of Beuran Hendricks. Left-handed batsman Warner was axed from the Ashes tour for punching England batsman Joe Root in a Birmingham bar after a Champions Trophy game between the countries.
He was told to join an Australia A tour of Zimbabwe and South Africa to "get match practice and runs in the longer format of the game". Warner did not start impressively, managing innings of only eight and 11 in an 80-run victory over a Zimbabwe XI in Harare. But his 193 heightened speculation that he might be recalled by Australia, who trail England 2-0 in the five-Test series after a series of woeful batting performances. The Pretoria match was drawn after Australia A made 474-5 declared and 254-6 and South Africa A compiled 614-7 declared.
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