Warner, Bancroft set to resume cricket

SYDNEY: Disgraced Australian stars David Warner and Cameron Bancroft will return to competitive cricket at a low-level limited-overs tournament in the country’s tropical north in July, it was announced Tuesday.

Warner is serving a year-long ban from state and international cricket and Bancroft a nine-month suspension over a ball-tampering scandal in South Africa in March that rocked the game.But they are allowed to appear at club level in Australia and in domestic tournaments abroad.

As they work to rebuild their careers, the duo will feature in the NT Strike League in Darwin, a month-long Twenty20 and one-day event that features four franchises — Desert Blaze, City Cyclones, Northern Tide and Southern Storm. Bancroft is available for the entire tournament with Warner committing to two one-dayers on July 21 and 22.