Ackerman and de Bruyn face disciplinary hearing

Pierre de Bruyn, Easterns' hero in their dramatic last-ball victory over Gauteng in last Sunday's Standard Bank one-day game at the Wanderers, is to appear before a disciplinary committee, along with Gauteng's captain HD Ackerman.

They have been summoned after a verbal altercation, during which foul language was allegedly used. It will be a second appearance in three weeks for Ackerman, who had previously enjoyed a spotless disciplinary record. He escaped with a warning after the previous hearing, which was called following another verbal disagreement with an opponent, in the recent SuperSport match against his former team-mates at Cape Town.

On Sunday, both de Bruyn and Ackerman were innocent bystanders in the initial drama that unfolded after Andre Nel had been run out. Gauteng's fast bowler Garnett Kruger - who had had words with Nel in the previous over - rushed to the middle and said something to Nel, who reacted. Only then did de Bruyn and Ackerman get involved. Nel and Kruger reportedly escaped disciplinary action because the umpires could not hear clearly what they said.