Cricket: Australia's Cameron Bancroft caught in 'ball-tampering' controversy

Australian opening batsman Cameron Bancroft landed himself at the centre of a ball-tampering controversy on Saturday when he was caught on camera appearing to hide a foreign object down his trousers, moments before the umpires spoke to him about working on the ball.

Fielding in the third Test against South Africa in Cape Town, Bancroft was seen rubbing his hands over the ball shortly before tea on Saturday.

As English umpires Nigel Llong and Richard Illingworth met mid-pitch to discuss the incident, Bancroft was then seen appearing to take a small, yellow object out of his pocket and drop it down his trousers.

When questioned by the umpires, Bancroft pulled a black sunglasses cover out of his pocket.

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Llong and Illingworth opted not to change the ball or penalise Australia five runs, which is the statutory on-field penalty for illegally changing the condition of the ball. Match referee Andy Pycroft is expected to scrutinise footage of the episode after the close of play.

The Bancroft incident is the latest in a string of contentious moments throughout the series.

Australia coach Darren Lehmann yesterday confirmed his side had lodged an official complaint over what he deemed to be abusive behavior of home fans in Cape Town.

Lehmann said a number of Australian players were subjected to "disgraceful" verbal abuse from fans, including references to players' families, leading to Cricket South Africa ordering an increased security presence in the crowd on Saturday.