Johannesburg: South African 'A' fast bowler Andre Nel has been fined and suspended for six matches after being arrested in Australia on a drunk-driving charge last week, a South African cricket spokeswoman said on Tuesday. Bronwyn Wilkinson of the United Cricket Board of South Africa (UCBSA), said Nel pleaded guilty before a disciplinary hearing to a charge of bringing the game into disrepute. "Nel was found guilty and fined his match fee amounting to 17,280 Rand ($ 2,200) and he was suspended for six matches," Wilkinson said. The six-match suspension counted for all forms of the game. The Australian police in Hobart, Tasmania, arrested Nel on Friday, while driving under the influence of alcohol. He was handed over to South African cricket authorities as an alternative to being charged, and was sent back home. This is not the first time the talented bowler has courted trouble. He was fined $ 1,300 after a group of South African players and a management member were caught smoking marijuana in a hotel room while on tour in the West Indies in 2000. South Africa 'A' is currently on tour in Australia and Thursday beat Australia 'A' by eight wickets at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart. The two teams played out a draw on Tuesday on the final day of its three-day cricket match at Adelaide Oval. The series, which Australia leads 2-1, now moves to Perth, Western Australia, for a three-day game and a One-day match. Copyright AFP 2001

Tags: cricket, south africa 'a' cricket team versus australia 'a' cricket team, fast bowler andre nel, fined, suspended, arrested, drunk-driving charge, bronwyn wilkinson, united cricket board of south afri.