SOUTH Africa’s cricketers face life bans from the game for consorting with bookmakers under the terms of new player contracts. “The South African players’ new contracts contain three pages devoted entirely to all forms of dealing with bookmakers,” the Sunday Times reported. “These include a ban on betting, inducing other players to become involved, contriving to influence the result of a game, and receiving money to supply information to bookies; and an obligation to report any knowledge of transgression by other players.” The paper said the United Cricket Board of South Africa (UCB) was “adamant ….the new contracts leave no room for ambiguity.” Penalties for breaching the terms of the UCB contracts included “immediate termination of employment” and “lifetime bans on those found guilty” of dealing with bookmakers. The players signed by the UCB, the national squad and fringe players, have been advised by the board to discuss the contracts with their lawyers. The new contracts were drawn up after Hansie Cronje was sacked as South Africa’s captain after admitting he took money from bookmakers.
CASTLE PREMIERSHIP RESULTS
At Newlands Stadium:
Ajax Cape Town 2 (Brendan Ausgustine 46, Carlo Scott 90) African Wanderers 1 (Abram Lethebe 65-pen)
At Charles Mopeli Stadium
Free State Stars 1 (Thato Mokoena 45) AmaZulu 0
At Johannesburg Stadium
Kaizer Chiefs 1 (Jacob Tshisevhe 22) Moroka Swallows 0
At Caledonian Stadium
SuperSport United 1 (Jean-Paul Bang-Penda 90) Wits University 0
CASTLE PREMIERSHIP STANDINGS
P W D L F A P
1 Sundowns 28 20 5 3 57 29 65
2 Orlando Pirates 29 17 7 5 66 29 58
3 Kaizer Chiefs 30 16 10 4 37 17 58
4 Wits University 32 12 14 6 35 24 50
5 Jomo Comsos 33 12 13 8 47 30 49
6 Ajax Cape Town 31 13 7 11 38 36 46
7 Hellenic 31 13 6 12 59 40 45
8 Manning Rangers 30 11 9 10 46 45 42
9 Classic 31 12 4 15 41 62 40
10 Moroka Swallows 32 10 9 13 37 47 39
11 Santos 30 8 14 8 45 49 38
12 African Wanderers 31 11 5 15 36 45 38
13 SuperSport Utd 32 9 10 13 45 47 37
14 Free State Stars 30 8 11 11 25 33 35
15 Bloemfontein Celtic 30 8 10 12 37 49 34
16 Bush Bucks 30 8 9 13 37 45 33
17 AmaZulu 32 8 9 15 30 42 33
18 Mother City 30 2 4 24 21 70 10