Shaun Graf said he expected the leg spinner would be back in action by the start of the domestic Sheffield Shield competition in October.

News of 28-year-old Warne's recovery comes less than a month after the world's most successful wrist spinner said there was a slim chance he might never bowl again.

York to lead young hockey side to Games
SYDNEY: Veteran fullback Michael York will captain a young Australian team in the Commonwealth Games field hockey tournament next month.

Head coach Terry Walsh and fellow selectors today named a 16-man Kookaburras squad which is unchanged from that which won two Tests and tied a third in a warm-up series against Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur last week.

Squad: Michael York (captain), Jay Stacy (vice-captain), Michael Brennan, Adam Commens, Stephen Davies, Damon Diletti, Jason Duff, James Elmer, Paul Gaudoin, Mark Hickman, Jeremy Hiskins, Stephen Holt, Brent Livermore, Matthew Smith, Daniel Sproule, Lachlan Vivian-Taylor.

Sri Lankan stakes claim for Test honours
LONDON: Sri Lankan middle order batsman Chandika Hathurusingha made his claim for a place in the Test team to face England at the Oval with an unbeaten century against Hampshire yesterday.

Hathurusingha made 108 not out and Mahela Jayawardena hit 90 as the Sri Lankans reached their target of 309 with 17 balls to spare and by five wickets.

Hampshire declared at their overnight 347 for eight, made on the first day after the second was washed out by rain.

With the Sri Lankans anxious for batting practice they declared their first innings at 39 for four.

De Villiers moots fine plan for SA players
DURBAN: Fanie de Villiers wants to set up a fund to pay fines imposed on South African players by International Cricket Council (ICC) match referees.The former South Africa paceman has proposed establishing national supporters club whose membership fees could be used to reimburse players for perceived unjust fines.

De Villiers criticised the standard of umpiring in the recent series between England and South Africa, as well as Allan Donald's fine for commenting negatively on umpire Mervyn Kitchen's performance in the fourth Test.

De Villiers plans to approach the United Cricket Board of South Africa (UCB) with his idea, and is prepared to tone down some of its more radical elements.

MCC to vote again on women members
LONDON: MCC, the world's most famous cricket club, is to vote again on whether to allow women members for the first time in its 211-year history.The decision to re-ballot Marylebone Cricket Club members on Sept 28 was announced today despite the motion being rejected earlier this year.

If passed, women will be able to enter the famous long room at cricket's traditional headquarters at Lord's for the first time.

Bookmaker booked by Hong Kong court
HONG KONG: A man convicted on charges of illegal bookmaking during this year's World Cup received a four-month suspended jail term today.

A police statement said the unidentified man was also fined 500,00 HK dollars (US$ 6,400).

He was arrested when police raided several bars in Hong Kong's red-light district of Wanchai in June at the height of World Cup frenzy. Under Hong Kong laws, those accepting bets illegally face a maximum jail term of seven years and a fine of five million HK dollars (US $ 649,000).

Gascoigne's marriage ends in divorce
LONDON: The rocky two-year marriage of fallen England soccer hero Paul Gascoigne ended in the London Divorce Courts today over his unreasonable behaviour.

A judge granted Gascoigne's wife, Sheryl, 33, an uncontested divorce after she alleged that the soccer player's behaviour was so bad she could no longer be expected to live with him.

Gascoigne, 31, married Sheryl in July 1996. But four month later she appeared in public bruised and with a black eye. Gascoigne admitted to losing his temper and hitting her during a domestic dispute. Divorce papers were first filed a year ago but the couple appeared to be trying for a reconciliation in June when he was sensationally thrown out of the England squad.