Cricket: Snakes get their marching orders from SCG

SYDNEY - Snakes will be banned, but Mexican waves permitted when New Zealand meet Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground tomorrow in the next match of the triangular one-day series.

New South Wales police said yesterday that they would beef up their presence at the venue to prevent crowd disturbances that plagued the match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground last weekend.

More than 500 fans were ejected from the MCG during the New Zealand-Australia and South Africa-Australia matches, and there were 36 arrests for drunkenness, trespass and theft. Authorities have reacted by tightening alcohol sales at the MCG and by warning that spectators who begin a Mexican wave could be thrown out.

SCG crowds are traditionally better behaved than those in Melbourne, with the stiffer penalties in Sydney - a $A110 ($136) fine for throwing a missile, including a plastic cup, to a $A5500 fine for going on to the playing area - seen as a reason.

However, Superintendent John Hartley said events in Melbourne had forced a review of security arrangements at the SCG.

Police numbers would be increased for the New Zealand match, bags would be searched, and drunken fans turned away.

In a new initiative, police would monitor hotels near the ground to target people who get intoxicated before heading to the cricket.

Hartley said NSW police did not intend to stamp out the Mexican wave as long as it was orderly and did not become a safety issue.

However, a new form of entertainment at the SCG this season - hundreds of used plastic cups stacked together to form a metres-long serpent - would be banned.

The problem was not with the snake itself, Hartley said. It was when other people threw cups to the snake-builders, and fans in between were hit by the cups or had the remains of a drink spilled on them.

"Snakes are out," he said. "We'll give people a warning first up about cup-stacking. The second time, they will be ejected from the ground."

* Sri Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan became the seventh bowler to take 400 test wickets when he dismissed Zimbabwe tailender Henry Olonga on the fourth day of the third and final test in Galle yesterday.

Muralitharan, 29, playing in his 72nd test, bowled Olonga for a first-ball duck to become the fastest and youngest bowler to claim 400 test wickets.

The Sri Lankan finished with five for 67 as Zimbabwe were bowled out for 236 in reply to Sri Lanka's first innings of 418.

Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne was the previous youngest, having reached the 400 milestone at the age of 31. Former New Zealand fast bowler Richard Hadlee had been the quickest, taking 80 tests.

- AGENCIES