Published at 11:39, Wednesday, 09 January 2013

AUSTRALIAN cricketer Shane Warne has escaped a driving ban after speeding at more than 100mph at Gretna.

Quick: Australian cricketing legend Shane Warne

The Australian sports personality was fined £500 and had five licence points on his licence when the case was heard at Dumfries.

The 43-year-old star, who is dating actress Liz Hurley, did not appear in court but was represented by solicitor Graham Walker.

Mr Walker said Warne, who is currently in Australia, admitted driving at 103 mph in the northbound carriageway of the M74 north of Gretna on September 17.

The depute fiscal told the court that Warne was caught just after 9am on a static speed check.

Mr Walker said that Warne – a world class star who was required to travel extensively – was playing cricket in Australia for Melbourne Stars and would be in that part of the world during their summer months.

He had been driving on an Australian licence at the time of the offence.

He could offer no explanation – it was simply an error of judgement, he said.

“Mr Warne is a man who had no previous convictions and no points on his driving licence and travels thousands of miles a year,” he added.

Warne, captain of Melbourne Stars, hit the headlines earlier this week after he was banned for one match for his part in a confrontation with Marlon Samuels on Sunday.

The legendary leg-spinner later swore at him and then threw the ball at the Jamaican’s chest, with Samuels reacting by throwing his bat in Warne’s general direction.

Warne was charged with four separate offences, and found guilty of three of them, and he will now have to sit out the Stars’ regular season finale against the Sydney Thunder.

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