Cricket: Stemp fined for abuse

RICHARD STEMP, the Yorkshire left-arm spinner, was fined pounds 500, reprimanded and warned about his future conduct by a Test and County Cricket Board disciplinary committee yesterday.

Stemp, England's 12th man in both Tests against New Zealand, appeared before the panel to answer charges of misconduct during Yorkshire's Championship match against Somerset at Bradford on 13 June.

Stemp was found guilty of using crude and abusive language to the Somerset batsman Mark Lathwell.

Richard Little, the TCCB spokesman, said: 'In arriving at their decision the panel took into account that this was his first appearance on a charge of this nature and his assurances about his future conduct.'

Stemp said he was glad the matter was over. He will not be appealing against the punishment. 'All I want to do is get on with playing cricket for Yorkshire and, hopefully, for England,' he said.