South Australian captain Johan Botha will appeal his suspension for the crucial last round of the Sheffield Shield for a bizarre incident in which he is said to have taken the new ball and, in front of the umpires, run the old one along his boot spikes before tossing it away.

Botha, whose Redbacks are locked at the top of the ladder with NSW and Western Australia on 26 points and striving for their first shield final in 18 years, is fighting the severity of the penalty.

Johan Botha. Credit:Getty Images

He also received a reprimand for using offensive language during NSW's first innings.

During that innings he was spoken to by the umpires about the condition of the ball. At the end of the 88th over, when the new ball was taken, he grabbed the old one and ran it along the bottom of his boot before tossing it to the boundary line. Because the old ball was no longer in use, Botha was charged with bringing the game into disrepute - ''specifically repeated inappropriate conduct relating to the condition of the match ball'' - rather than a ball-tampering charge.