Cricket: Sth Africa prepare for trench warfare

JOHANNESBURG - South Africa will dig moats around the 12 grounds to be used for next year's World Cup to prevent spectators invading the pitch, the executive director of the national board, Ali Bacher, said yesterday.

On Sunday, a spectator at the Tri-Nations rugby clash between South Africa and New Zealand in Durban got on to the ground and attacked Irish referee David McHugh.

McHugh suffered a dislocated shoulder in the incident.

"The decision to build the moats was taken nine months ago, so it is not a reaction to the weekend's incident," Bacher told the Johannesburg-based Star.

"At the 1999 World Cup in England and the Netherlands, there were a number of pitch invasions. We simply can't have that.

"Not only is there a chance of injury to players or officials, as we saw at the rugby, but an invasion also discredits the country."

The moats, which will cost about $150,000, will be about 1.5m wide and filled with mesh netting designed to trap any person trying to get on to the field, the Star said.

Closed-circuit television cameras will also be installed at all the grounds, at a cost of $875,000, to monitor spectator activity.

* The West Indies announced a predictable lineup yesterday to play for the ICC Champions Trophy next month in Sri Lanka.

Captain Carl Hooper and left-hander Brian Lara, both with experience in more than 200 matches, will spearhead the batting, and fast bowler Mervyn Dillon leads the attack for the 12-team tournament from September 12 to 29.

The West Indies are pitted against South Africa and Kenya in one of the four qualifying groups. The favourites, Australia, are in NZ's group.

West Indies: Carl Hooper (capt), Brian Lara, Chris Gayle, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Wavell Hinds, Ryan Hinds, Ridley Jacobs, Mervyn Dillon, Corey Collymore, Pedro Collins, Cameron Cuffy, Runako Morton and Mahendra Nagamootoo.

- AGENCIES