Melbourne, Feb 4 (IANS): Australian women's cricketer Piepa Cleary was on Thursday banned for six months for being involved in a series of betting totalling $15.50 on this summer's Adelaide Test between Australia and New Zealand.

Cleary, 19, who plays for Perth Scorchers in the women's Twenty20 Big Bash League, was sanctioned by Cricket Australia (CA) as she was charged with breaching Article 2.2.1 of the code (placing, accepting, laying or entering into any bet in relation to the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of any match or event).

A CA released a statement on Thursday said that they have imposed a 24 month period of ineligibility on Cleary of which 18 months are suspended on condition that she commits no further offences under the Code. 

She is also required to participate in anti-corruption player education programs delivered by the CA in future.

"We continue to remind all elite cricketers and officials that betting on any form of cricket is strictly prohibited. It is outlined in the anti-corruption education that we deliver annually and is written into our anti-corruption Code," Iain Roy, head of the CA integrity unit said in a release.

"Piepa has heard this message many times through the anti-corruption education sessions that we deliver and accepts that in placing the bets she exercised poor judgment," Roy said.