• 'No problem whatsoever' for Tour officials
• Television footage ruled 'inconclusive'

Kenny Perry has been exonerated of any wrongdoing following suggestions that the American may have infringed the rules during his play-off victory at the FBR Open in February. The 48-year-old, who narrowly missed out on becoming the oldest major winner in history at last month's Masters, met with tour officials yesterday, during the Players ­Championship here, to review television footage which showed him placing the head of a club in the rough behind his ball, after which the ball seemingly became more visible.

Rule 13–2 of the Rules of Golf states that a player is not allowed to improve "the position or lie of his ball". Mark Russell, a senior rules official with the PGA Tour, said he had "no problem whatsoever" with Perry's actions, adding that the footage was "inconclusive".

"During the course of the telecast of the FBR Open‚ we received no calls from viewers reporting a potential rules violation involving Kenny Perry. When a question was raised this week, several members of the tournament committee reviewed the videotape of Kenny Perry, and no evidence of any rules violation was found ... We will have no further comment on the matter,'' he said.

• 16-year-old played for German U-17 side that beat England
• 'We really tried to keep Shkodran at our club', say Hamburg

Everton are close to completing a deal for the teenage German defender Shkodran Mustafi, to the disgust of his present club, Hamburg. The 16-year-old, who was in the Germany Under-17 side who beat their England counterparts 4-0 last week, is believed to have agreed a three-year contract with the Goodison Park club.

"We really tried to keep Shkodran at our club, but when there is a club from England coming up we are unable and unwilling to compete financially," said Jens Todt, the head of Hamburg's youth academy. "It is tough to accept, but it will not destroy us. We are just hoping this is not going to happen too often again."

Former England cricketer orchestrated a drug smuggling scheme, a Croydon Crown court jury was told today

Former England cricketer Chris Lewis smuggled cocaine worth more than £140,000 into Britain hidden in cans of fruit and vegetable juice, a court heard today.

Lewis, 41, carried the drugs from St Lucia in a black Puma cricket bag, jurors were told. The ex-cricketer, who is alleged to have orchestrated the scheme with his co-defendant Chad Kirnon, 27, was stopped as he arrived at Gatwick airportin December last year.

Croydon Crown court heard the pair, who claimed to be travelling alone, were picked up independently by customs officers at the airport.

But the court heard this was all part of a "joint enterprise" and the pair were "acting together".

Tom Wilkins, prosecuting, said Lewis was stopped shortly after 5am on 8 December. "When the customs officer pulled him over, Mr Lewis stated that he was travelling alone and had been in St Lucia visiting friends and family," he said.

But when Lewis's luggage was inspected the Puma cricket bag was found to be labelled with Kirnon's name, Wilkins told the court.

This was "the first of a number of links between these two defendants and what they were, together, up to," he added.

Jurors heard that the cocaine, which was found dissolved in the liquid contents of five tins, would at 100% purity, weigh 3.37kg. This would give it a street value of over £140,000, Wilkins said.

Customs officers also found traces of cannabis residue in Lewis's luggage, the court heard.

These were discovered on a silver grinder inside the side pocket of a Samsonite suit carrier and on Rizla cigarette papers tucked into a paperback book, the court heard.

When questioned at Gatwick, the former cricketer, who was also carrying a Prada "man bag", said he had packed the luggage himself and was not carrying anything for anyone else.

When Kirnon was stopped and questioned soon after, a quick test performed at the airport found he was also carrying cocaine, Wilkins said.

But when questioned, he said he was simply bringing three tins of fruit juice back for his mother which he had bought from a shop in St Lucia, jurors were told.

Kirnon said that before travelling, he had taken advantage of a facility which enabled him to check-in luggage at a local hotel rather than at the airport.

And he said Lewis had asked him to check-in some bags, which he had done without question.

But he said he had not travelled to the airport with the former cricketer, "obviously trying to put some distance between himself and Mr Lewis", Wilkins told the court. "They have each had time to confer with their legal advisers and prepare their defence for this trial and in fact, each now blames the other." But he added: "The Crown say they were in it together."

The court heard how Kirnon was also stopped by customs officers on the way into St Lucia. At the time they discovered £7,000 on his person which, the prosecution allege, was to be used to buy cocaine.

The trial was adjourned.

• Gasquet tested positive at Sony Ericsson Open in March
• Anti-doping tribunal should be assembled within 60 days

The International Tennis Federation has suspended French tennis player Richard Gasquet following his positive test for cocaine, pending a hearing. The ITF said an anti-doping tribunal should be assembled within 60 days to hear the case.

Gasquet says he is gathering evidence to prove his innocence, despite both his "A'' and "B'' samples coming back positive for cocaine. Traces of the drug were found in the 22-year-old Gasquet's urine sample at the Sony Ericsson Open in Florida in March.

"He's suspended until the end of the hearing," ITF spokesman Neil Robinson said. "We're now assembling an anti-doping tribunal. The ideal time frame is within 60 days, but people have to fly in from all over the world for it."

Gasquet could face a two-year ban if found guilty. The Frenchman, who was ranked seventh in July 2007 but has since slipped to No21, has played just five matches since pulling out of the Sony Ericsson Open before his second-round match against Albert Montanes of Spain.

Gasquet cited a right shoulder injury for the withdrawal and has since returned to action in Barcelona and at the Rome Masters, where he lost in the third round to Fernando Verdasco.

Martina Hingis was banned for two years early last year after testing positive for cocaine at Wimbledon. The five-time grand slam champion and former top-ranked player failed a test after losing to Laura Granville in June 2007.

Hingis, who has since retired, became the second WTA player suspended for cocaine after Lourdes Dominguez Lino of Spain was banned for three months in 2002.