FRIDAY, 12.00NOON:
FORMER Zimbabwean national goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar and Hans Segers could face life bans after being charged by the UK Football Association on Thursday with breaking football’s betting rules following the evidence they both gave at their trial on match-fixing charges.
Grobbelaar, Segers and Aston Villa striker John Fashanu were last month cleared of match-fixing charges after a second trial.
Both Grobbelaar and Segers told the court they received money for forecasting the results of matches, therefore breaking FA rugulations.
FA director of public affairs David Davies suggested in an official statement announcing the charges that Lancaster Gate believes the pair have confirmed their guilt. “We can announce today that Bruce Grobbelaar and Hans Segers have both been charged with breaches of FA betting,” he said. “They have admitted to breaches of the relevant FA rules at their criminal trials.”
SPORT BRIEFS
FLOWERS HITS BIG GRANT Flower hit 85 to steer Zimbabwe to a respectable 204/4 at the close of the opening day of the first cricket test against New Zealand in Zimbabwe on Thursday. New Zealand all-rounder Chris Cairns took two wickets in 12 balls after lunch to justify captain Stephen Fleming’s decision to put in the home side.
CRICKET FRIENDLY SOUTH AFRICAN A cricket side scored 197/5 in reply to the B team’s 260/4 declared on the second day of their three-day friendly match. Shaun Pollock started the game for the B side by hitting 50 off just 69 balls, being particularly harsh on Makhaya Ntini who had his overnight 1/17 in 10 overs altered to 1/55 in 14 overs. Pollock hit seven fours and a six and Dave Richardson struck five boundaries in 29. Lance Kluesener hit four fours and a six in his 32 off 28 balls. Andrew Hudson hit 17 and Gary Kirsten 20 in reply to the B team. Jonty Rhodes took advantage of the batting strip and hammered 80. He hit eight fours and a six in an innings lasting 130 minutes. Adam Bacher in his second knock of 31 not out after being dismissed for eight first time round, added 104 in an unbroken sixth wicket.
MEIRING TO FALCONS NORTHERN Transvaal centre FA Meiring has joined Gauteng Falcons and will make his debut in a Bankfin Currie Cup match against Gauteng Lions at Ellis Park on Saturday.
TWO OFF THE PACE AFTER scoring a first-round 67, Nico van Rensburg is two shots off the pace in the Kuala Lumpur Open golf championships.
SOCCER DEVELOPMENT OIL company Total has donated R30 000 towards a grassroots tournament to be hosted by Thembisa United Football Association. The tournament, to be called Total Knockout Challenge, will feature 54 under-19 teams.
TENNIS VETS SOUTH AFRICA’S Frank Puncec and Frank Briscoe beat Great Britain 2-1 in the over-45 Dublar Cup in Pretoria to earn a place in the ITF’s World Veterans Tennis team event on Thursday. In the doubles South Africa’s Jean Hubert and Gert van der Heever lost 6-4 7-6 (7-5) to Britain’s William Boone and Benson Greatrex.