[SHANE Warne], who didn’t play in the one day series, has kept a much lower profile since returning to Melbourne from England a fortnight ago, vowing to fight for his marriage. The 36-year-old split with wife Simone a little more than three months ago when a series of affairs were exposed in the London tabloids.

Slipping back into a quiet Melbourne life, Warne was welcomed back into the family home — sleeping on the sofa — and was spotted last week enjoying a day out with Simone and their three young children.

Yesterday, with Simone and the kids back home in Melbourne, Warne shared a laugh and a few cigarettes with the young Columbian model called Carinya at Manta restaurant on the Finger Wharf at Sydney’s Woolloomoolloo.

SHANE Warne has refused to declare his marriage over, but the king of spin looked like he’d already started a new innings yesterday.

While the legendary Australian legspinner will take on the rest of the world at the SCG in the Super Test today, yesterday Warne showed he was prepared to compete with them off the field as well.

A relaxed Warne enjoyed lunch with a mysterious stunning young brunette at one of Sydney’s top restaurants, and the happy couple appeared “lovey dovey”, according to one onlooker.

The World XI players failed to fire during the one day series in Melbourne last week but have outdone themselves off the field, with many of the superstars partying heavily with gorgeous wives and girlfriends during the tour.

Warne, who didn’t play in the one day series, has kept a much lower profile since returning to Melbourne from England a fortnight ago, vowing to fight for his marriage. The 36-year-old split with wife Simone a little more than three months ago when a series of affairs were exposed in the London tabloids.

Slipping back into a quiet Melbourne life, Warne was welcomed back into the family home — sleeping on the sofa — and was spotted last week enjoying a day out with Simone and their three young children.

The couple frolicked with their children on push bikes and rollerblades. At one point Warne shared a vanilla ice cream with his wife, and she giggled throughout the excursion.

However yesterday, with Simone and the kids back home in Melbourne, Warne shared a laugh and a few cigarettes with the young Columbian model called Carinya at Manta restaurant on the Finger Wharf at Sydney’s Woolloomoolloo.

“They were sitting out on the end of the wharf. He’s got the mobile phone. She’s got the mobile phone. He had three cigarettes within about 15 minutes,” photographer Guy Finlay said yesterday.

“They appeared lovey dovey. They were very close when they were sitting on the side of the wharf having a cigarette. The body language was … they weren’t enemies, it wasn’t business.”

Finlay said Warne was in good spirits when he spotted the paparazzi but tried to slip away.

“He came out and asked what I was doing.”

She was “totally friendly and happy and unconcerned” before being escorted away to the underground carpark where Warne was waiting for the beautiful model.

“Shane looked happy. When he talked to me he wasn’t aggressive or angry; he just acted like a deer in the headlights.

“He apparently did not expect to be caught.”

Warne’s brother and manager Jason last night said the Columbian beauty was not his brother’s new girlfriend.

“It’s not a new girlfriend. It is just a friend who stayed on after lunch with a bigger group that went to lunch in Sydney.”

Also published on news.com.au under the headline Warne’s Colombian Flame.