• Warner, Smith cash in on Aussie return

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    Disgraced Australian cricketers David Warner and Steve Smith were both in the runs on their return to grade cricket in Australia.

    Australian cricketers David Warner and Steven Smith – both banned for a year from international and state cricket following their role in the Sandpapergate Test at Newlands – returned to grade cricket in Sydney with a bang today. Warner smashed a century off 98 balls while Smith notched a 92-ball 85.

    Warner, still ranked as the number five ODI batsman in world cricket, celebrated his century for Randwick-Petersham in the NSW premier cricket with his trademark leap, before going on to score 155 not out as Randwick-Petersham beat St George in the first match of the Sydney club cricket season. The 31-year-old opening batsman reached his century off 98 balls, hitting 13 fours and two sixes in his innings as Randwick-Petersham chased down St George’s score of 277 to win by four wickets.

    ‘It was a pretty special knock. He played really well and is very good in those type of situations,’ said former Test team-mate Josh Hazlewood, who was playing for St George’s against Warner.

    Former Australian captain Smith scored his 85 off 92 balls for Sutherland in an innings that included six fours and a six. It was the current world number two ranked Test batsman’s first match after his return from an abdominal strain that saw him miss out on the Barbados Tridents’ last three matches in the Caribbean Premier League.

    Photo:  Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

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    Simon Lewis