LONDON, December 23: Former England captain and Test selector Graham Gooch has joined David Boon's Durham as a consultant and batting coach for the next season.

Gooch, manager of the England `A' team for a three-month tour of Kenya and Sri Lanka beginning in January, will join the county for pre-season training in early April.

Durham's Australian captain Boon praised the appointment of the former Essex opener, saying, ``The club and team will benefit from any input Graham can give it is excellent that the club has been able to secure his services on regular basis.''

Fernandez drops out of Australian OpenMELBOURNE: American Mary Joe Fernandez has dropped out of the Australian open and a warm up tournament because of a wrist injury, tournament organisers said today.

Fernandez, who is ranked 11 in the world, is a two-time runner-up in the Australian Open. She lost to Steffi Graf in 1990 and Monica Seles in 1992.Graf and Seles, who have won eight Australians between them, are expected in Melbourne for the open. Seles is undefeated in the Australian Championships. Graf is making a comeback after knee surgery and will make her return to Grand Slam competition during the Australian Open.

FA ban Barnsley defender Jones

LONDON: Dean Jones, the first Premier League player to test positive for drugs, has been banned from playing for three months.

The 20-year-old Barnsley defender went before a Football Association disciplinary committee after testing positive for amphetamines during a random visit by FA officials to the club's training ground in October.Jones took the drug in a nightclub October 26 and said it was merely to keep him awake, not to enhance his performance.

The FA take a very serious view of this sort of thing and Jones has been suspended from any sort of football for three months,'' said FA spokesman Steve Double. The ban runs from November 17, when the test results became known, until February.

WBO champ to do community service

NORWICH: WBO heavyweight champion Herbie Hide has been sentenced to 60 hours of community service for scuffling with two police officers.

The incident occurred after hide was stopped while driving his Bentley in his home town of Norwich in July.

Norwich magistrates heard that Hide, 26, became abusive when questioned by the two police officers. He tore up a traffic ticket, swore, threw a punch at a policewoman that missed and pushed a policeman in the face. The magistrates ordered Hide to pay each police officer 50 pounds compensation and to pay 50 pounds in court costs. The magistrates ordered him to complete his community service within 12 months. Hide said he felt his skills would be best utilised by working with young people.

Victoria to add spice to Beckam's life

london: Spice girl "Posh Spice" and Manchester footballer David Beckam have decided to marry, after a passionate nine-month romance, it emerged today."Posh Spice", Victoria Adams (23), said at the premiere of the Spice Girls' movie Spiceworld in Dusseldorf, "My boyfriend is a footballer. We are getting married soon." In comments carried by the British press today, she added: "As soon as Gucci makes clothes for expectant moms, I would even consider a pregnancy."

The couple have been dating since March and may now plan their wedding after the World Cup finals in France, where the 22-year-old is expected to be in the England team.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.