Sydney, Feb 4: An Australian female cricket player has been banned for six months for placing bets on a men's test match between Australia and New Zealand.

Piepa Cleary, a 19-year-old player contracted to the Perth Scorchers in the women's Twenty20 Big Bash League, received a further 18-month suspended sentence after admitting placing the bets totaling 15.50 Australian dollars ($11) on the third test last November.

She is the second female player in Australia to be sanctioned recently for betting on men's matches. Angela Reakes, a legspinner for the Sydney Sixers, received a two-year suspended sentence for wagering $9 on the 2015 World Cup final.

Head of Cricket Australia's integrity unit, Iain Roy says "We take a zero tolerance approach to any form of gambling on cricket by players."

PTI