Australia’s David Warner fined for staircase incident

Australia vice-captain David Warner and South Africa's Quinton de Kock escaped bans on Wednesday following their confrontation on a stadium staircase during the first cricket test in Durban over the weekend.

Warner was fined 75 percent of his match fee, the International Cricket Council said, after pleading guilty to bringing cricket into disrepute. He received three demerit points, too.

De Kock was fined 25 percent of his match fee and received one demerit point. He admitted to the same charge but had appealed against the sanction.

The incident at Kingsmead stadium took place during a break in play on day four of the opening test on Sunday.

Warner was involved in a heated argument with de Kock on a staircase leading to the dressing rooms as players came off for the tea break on Sunday. During the confrontation, which was caught on a stadium security camera, an angry Warner had to be restrained by a number of his teammates as he directed comments at de Kock.

The incident was the result of on-field verbals between the teams during play, which then spilled over as players made their way to their respective dressing rooms. The sledging between the teams got out of hand when Warner and de Kock started making personal comments about each other's family members, according to the team captains.

The charges were leveled by on-field umpires Kumar Dharmasena and Sundaram Ravi, third umpire Chris Gaffaney, and fourth umpire Allahudiean Palekar.

Australia leads the four-test series 1-0 following a commanding 118-run win in Durban in a match undermined by a series of heated on-field incidents.

Australia spin bowler Nathan Lyon had already pleaded guilty to a charge for his celebration of South Africa batsman AB de Villiers' run out. In the celebration, Lyon intentionally dropped the ball onto de Villiers, who was lying sprawled on the ground after being run out.

Warner, after playing a part in that same run out, celebrated with a taunting tirade at the other South Africa batsman at the crease, Aiden Markram.

Australia quick bowler Mitchell Starc and South Africa batsman Theunis de Bruyn had a series of verbal exchanges during one over later in the day.