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Monday, June 1, 1998 Published at 13:41 GMT 14:41 UK

Sport: Cricket

Lara fined for missing game

The fine is an embarrassment for Lara

The Warwickshire captain Brian Lara has been fined Ł2,000 by the county after missing Sunday's AXA league defeat by Somerset at Taunton.

The West Indies captain was supposed to return from a business trip to the Caribbean on Saturday.

But his flight was first delayed, and then diverted to Gatwick, and he only arrived at the ground 20 minutes before the match started.

He had been unable to let Warwickshire know he was about to turn up, and was not named in their side.

[ image: Warwickshire missed Lara's skills]
Warwickshire missed Lara's skills
Warwickshire lost by four-wickets, a costly blow to their attempts at retaining the AXA title.

Lara appeared before a disciplinary hearing at Edgbaston on Monday, and was ordered to pay the fine, a small proportion of the estimated Ł60,000 he will earn this season for Warwickshire.

"We have had a full account from Brian about the problems he experienced and we accept there were some mitigating circumstances," said Warwickshire chief executive Dennis Amiss.

He also revealed that Lara had apologised to the committee, team and members.

It is the second time this season that Lara has been delayed in the West Indies.

He missed his flight at the start of the summer which put his appearance at a news conference in doubt, a situation only resolved when Phil Simmons gave up his seat to allow his Test captain to return in time.