Langer ends career in Australia as Symonds escapes punishment

Justin Langer has announced the end of his first-class career in Australia. The 37-year-old Somerset captain will play his final four-day match for Western Australia against Tasmania in the Pura Cup at the WACA which starts tomorrow.

"The fire's gone out," said Langer, who retired from Test cricket after last year's Ashes series, having earned 105 caps. "Physically and technically, I can play for another couple of years, but the fire's gone out, so that's why it's been a tough year.

"Even scoring 100 used to mean everything, it used to mean I was happy for a few weeks. But now, it's nice but it doesn't mean everything to me, and because it doesn't mean everything to me any more, it's time to walk away."

The Australia all-rounder Andrew Symonds will not be charged for tackling a streaker during yesterday's Commonwealth Bank Series defeat by India at the Gabba. Symonds had not faced a delivery during the nine-run defeat when a naked man charged on to the field. The 26-year-old Brisbane man headed towards Symonds at the non-striker's end. The batsman stepped into his path and floored him with a hefty shoulder barge.

The International Cricket Council's Level 4.2 regulation covers "physical assault on another player, umpire, referee, official or spectator", but Symonds will not face a penalty from Cricket Australia.

"I only saw it live and it looked like the guy was running at him and Andrew tried to protect himself," paceman Stuart Clark said. "I probably need to slow it down and have a look at some slow motion of it, but the guy didn't get up all that quickly from what I saw."