Criket: No action on Wessels

THE South African captain, Kepler Wessels, has escaped punishment for allegedly hitting India's Kapil Dev with his bat during Wednesday's day-night cricket international in Port Elizabeth.

The match referee, Clive Lloyd, said yesterday that as television had been unable to furnish evidence of the incident 'the truth can not be established.' Wessels, turning for a second run, admitted hitting the all-rounder Kapil, but insisted that it was an accident.

Lloyd fined the South African vice-captain, Peter Kirsten, for 'remonstrating and using offensive language' after being run out, backing up too far, by Kapil as the Indian was about to bowl. He was fined 50 per cent of his match fee - pounds 213.

Tom Graveney, who played in 79 Tests for England, is to be the match referee for Pakistan's tour of the West Indies next year.