Warne starts comeback after fracturing finger

Shane Warne, who fractured his spinning finger in October, bowled nine overs and took the wicket of former England captain Graham Gooch in a match in honour of former Australian Test player Ian Healy.

Warne took one for 38, having Gooch caught at mid-on for 66 by Australia's former captain Mark Taylor.

"He got me again," said Gooch.

Warne hurt the ring finger of his right hand, his bowling hand, as he fumbled but eventually caught Mark Waugh in an inter- state match between Victoria and New South Wales in Melbourne in October.

Warne, who has taken 366 Test wickets, has bowled for his club in Melbourne and in the nets but appears unlikely to win selection for the fifth and final Test against the West Indies, starting in Sydney on January 2.

He could return to the Victoria state side in early January with a view to making the Australian squad to tour India in a three-Test series in February and March.

He was not named in a 14-man squad for the fourth Test starting in Melbourne on December 26.

The squad contained two spinners, leg-spinner Stuart MacGill and off-spinner Colin Miller, who was man of the match in the third Test with 10 wickets.

Healy's XI won Thursday's tribute match against a Rest of the World XI.

Chasing 279 to win off 45 overs, Healy's side made 280 for four off 37 overs, with Warne (16 not out) blasting two consecutive sixes to clinch the victory.

Former Test batman David Boon, a newly-appointed Australian selector, retired on 100 and current Australian opener Michael Slater retired on 75.

Australia's chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns and captain Steve Waugh were on hand to watch Warne's spell. Waugh sat out the match because of a buttock strain but is expected to play in the fourth Test.

Healy's tribute match featured Allan Border, Richard Hadlee and Viv Richards. The celebrity 12th men -- both from Healy's state of Queensland -- were twice U.S. Open tennis champion Patrick Rafter and former rugby league player Allan Langer.

Click for slide show of Healy's tribute match

Mail Cricket Editor