Plunkett banned for drink driving

England cricketer Liam Plunkett has been banned from driving for 20 months after admitting drink driving.

The fast bowler appeared before Teeside Magistrate's Court in Middlesbrough just a week after returning from international duty in Australia.

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JPs banned Plunkett from driving for 20 months, fined him £2,000 and ordered him to pay £50 costs and attend a drink-drive rehabilitation course.

The court was told that the 21-year-old cricketer was arrested for drink-driving after crashing his 4x4 into another car on his way back from a nightclub on October 19 last year.

The late-night incident happened at a set of traffic lights after Plunkett had left the Tall Trees nightclub in Yarn, near Stockton.

The court heard that, as Plunkett approached a set of traffic lights, his foot slipped off the brake and he crashed into another car.

The paceman was given a road-side test, arrested by Cleveland Police and taken for more tests.

Plunkett, of Thurnham Grove, Marton, Middlesbrough, gave a reading of 172mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood. The legal limit is 80mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood - meaning the cricketer was more than twice over the limit.

Plunkett was bailed by police until he returned from Ashes duty in Australia.

It was a disappointing tour for the Durham cricketer as he failed to make the Test team and England were whitewashed 5-0.

It was only in the subsequent Commonwealth Bank Series that Plunkett made the England team.

He finished as joint leading wicket-taker with 12 wickets, helping the tourists to a 2-0 finals victory over Australia.

Plunkett's form in the one-day competition saw him picked in England's 15-man Cricket World Cup squad.

He is due to fly out to the Caribbean on March 2.