Sporting Digest: Cricket

Rain forced the abandonment of the touring West Indies' first Australian match yesterday, against the Prime Minister's XI, in Canberra. West Indies acting captain, Courtney Walsh, had won the toss and elected to bat, but constant rain prevented play from starting.

The injured pace bowlers, Fanie de Villiers and Brett Schultz, have been left out of South Africa's provisional World Cup squad. Also omitted from the list for the tournament starting on 15 February 1996 in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, were the bowlers Clive Eksteen and Meyrick Pringle, who played in the second Test against England.

SOUTH AFRICA PROVISIONAL WORLD CUP SQUAD: W J Cronje (capt), A C Hudson, G Kirsten, D J Cullinan, J N Rhodes, B M McMillan, D J Richardson, S M Pollock, C R Matthews, A A Donald, P Adams, D N Crookes, N Boje, P Symcox, S L Palframan, L Klusener, A P Kuiper, R P Snell, J H Kallis, P J R Steyn.