Cricket: Infamous Australian batsman felled by Dunedin club player

Cameron Bancroft of the Desert Blaze looks dejected as he leaves the field after being dismissed. Photo /Getty

A Dunedin club player has felled an infamous Australian batsman in the Northern Territory.

Kurt Johnston, in his second season in Darwin, is playing club cricket and also in the growing Northern Territory Strike League.

The weather in Darwin makes it conducive to play the sport in the winter months, although in that part of the world the season is more dry and rainy rather than what we know as winter and summer.

Johnston (20), who attended King's High School and played for Otago under-19 in the 2016-17 season, is a handy pace bowler who grabbed an eight-wicket bag for Carisbrook-Dunedin last season.

He turned out for the Southern Storm in a game in the Strike League over the weekend.

The limited-overs games include many cricketers from around Australia, including two players who have been in the news for the wrong reasons.

Former Australian opener Cameron Bancroft and former Australian vice-captain and opener David Warner have both been playing for sides in the league. The two were banned from all first-class cricket, along with Australian skipper Steve Smith, over a ball-tampering incident in South Africa.

Smith and Warner were banned for 12 months while Bancroft was banned for nine months.

However, the trio are allowed to play in limited-overs forms of the game.

Warner and Smith played in a twenty20 tournament in Canada and now Warner and Bancroft are playing in Darwin.

Johnston was bowling to Bancroft and the Australian opener tried to slog-sweep the ball down leg. But all he succeeded in doing was edging the ball up under his helmet so the ball hit him in the throat.

He went down on his knees and required help from the team's medical crew.

Bancroft took some time to recover and, although he eventually continued, he was out four balls later, but not to Johnston.

Bancroft's side was due to play Warner's team on Sunday but Bancroft did not take part because of the throat injury and he will miss the final round of matches next weekend.

Johnston's side lost the game on Saturday and has one round of matches left.

He has been joined in Darwin and the Storm team by Otago and Albion pace bowler Matt Bacon.

The Strike League has grown in prominence and last year Johnston played against D'arcy Short who went on to play for Australia in limited-overs cricket last summer.