Sam Curran fined 15 percent of match fee for excessive celebration during 2nd ODI against South Africa 

England all-rounder Sam Curran has been fined 15 percent of his match fee for celebrating excessively after claiming the wicket of Temba Bavuma during the second ODI on Sunday, January 29.

He was found to have breached Article 2.5 of the ICC's code of conduct, which corresponds to "using any language, action or gesture towards a batter upon their dismissal which has the potential to provoke an aggressive reaction from the dismissed batter".

The charge was leveled by on-field umpires Marais Erasmus and Adrian Holdstock, third umpire Bongani Jele, and fourth umpire Allahudien Paleker.

The left-arm pacer dismissed the Proteas skipper in the 28th over and was found celebrating in the direction of the departing player. Bavuma scored a sublime ton during South Africa's record chase that helped them close out the three-match ODI series with a game to spare.

Curran did not contest the charges leveled by the officials. As a result, a formal hearing was not required. Apart from the 15 percent fine, the all-rounder also has a demerit point added to his disciplinary record. The recent incident marks his first offense in a two-year span.

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Sam Curran finished with 1-60 in the second ODI against the Proteas

The England middle order, which was primarily responsible for the shocking collapse in the series opener, made amends by scoring heavily in the second ODI. Led by fifties from Harry Brook, skipper Jos Buttler, and Moeen Ali, the visitors piled on a mammoth 342-7 while batting first.

South Africa, in reply, staked their claim in the contest with a formidable start. Despite Temba Bavuma's dismissal in the 28th over, the Proteas were still very much in the contest with eight wickets in hand.

Sam Curran had a decent outing with the ball, returning with figures of 1-60 from his 10 overs. But his bowling partners were taken to the cleaners by the South African lower-middle order. The all-rounder was the second-most economical bowler as South Africa scaled down the total with five balls to spare.

The two sides will lock horns in the final ODI on Wednesday, February 1, at the Diamond Oval in Kimberley.

Will the Proteas be able to execute a whitewash over the reigning white-ball champions? Let us know what you think.

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