Sporting Digest: Cricket

NORTHAMPTONSHIRE must appear before the Test and County Cricket Board's discipline committee to answer allegations that they illegally approached three 17-year-old Yorkshire players. The board's registration committee yesterday decided there was a 'prima facie case to answer' following Yorkshire's complaint earlier this month. No date has been set for the hearing. The allegations concern the left-arm spinner Ian Fisher and two members of England's Under-19 party to tour Sri Lanka this winter, Ishmail Dawood and Chris Schofield.

SHEFFIELD SHIELD (First day of four): Adelaide: Queensland 330 (M Hayden 165) v South Australia. Sydney: New South Wales 353 for 5 (R Chee Quee 69, M Bevan 141, G Matthews 55no) v Tasmania.