Date-stamped : 02 Apr96 - 02:19
South Africa First Class Cricket Loses Sponsor

South African Breweries - sponsors of domestic first class crick-
et in South Africa since 1972 - have terminated their sponsorship
of the competition currently known as the Castle Cup with immedi-
ate effect.

SAB will continue to sponsor  the  South  African  side  in  test
cricket both at home and abroad.

Meanwhile, the UCB have announced that a  new  sponsor  has  been
found  to replace SAB. The sponsor - to be named later this month
- has already signed a five year deal.

More news from South Africa is that  the  inter-provincial  first
class  competition  will  be expanded next season when Griqualand
West will be admitted as the ninth team in the competition.

Finally, the UCB has announced  that  thirteen  of  the  fourteen
players  who  represented South Africa in the 1996 World Cup have
been placed under contract for the next twelve months.  The   un-
lucky world cup team member is Steve Palframan. David Richardson,
who will represent South Africa in the upcoming Sharjah ODI tour-
nament will also be retained.

This announcement would seem to imply that Richardson  and  Fanie
de  Villiers  will not be retiring before the test series against
Australia in 1997.

<END> Contributed by Bob.Dubery (dauphin@aztec.co.za)