East London to host 2003 World Cricket Cup matches

DURBAN -- Border will be the East London hosts of a Super Six game as well as a pool game during the World Cricket Cup 2003 held in South Africa -- as a reward for the tremendous enthusiasm that prevails at Buffalo Park. And Port Elizabeth will stage a World Cup semi-final match at St George's Park.

This was disclosed by UCB managing director Ali Bacher at a media briefing at Kingsmead in Durban yesterday. He also confirmed that the opening match, featuring South Africa against opponents yet to decided, will be played at Newlands in Cape Town as a day-night game on February 7, 2003. It is likely the Western Province cricket officials will be invited to stage a formal opening ceremony to match similar efforts at other major sporting world sporting attractions.

It will certainly be an improvement on that presented by England when they hosted the 1999 World Cup. The final will be played at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on March 18, 2003 as a day game.

A day-night encounter here was ruled out on the grounds of the dew factor on the Highveld at that time of the year. Bacher said 14 countries would contest the 2003 World Cup over a period of 40 days which would include an intensive programme of 42 matches over a concentrated period of 22 days.

On 20 of those there would be two matches a day with a day game dovetailing with a day-night game. Because of logistics -- including the fact three countries have still to qual-ify from the ICC tournament in Toronto next year -- the final allocation of matches has not been determined.

The venues of about 17 of the 54 scheduled matches have yet to be allocated. Hopes of games at venues such as Soweto, Chatsworth and in the Eastern Cape still had to be considered and would depend largely on whether there is sufficient funding to upgrade these venues to the required status. There was good news, however, for the Maritzburg Oval, Potchefstroom and Kimberley who have been guaranteed pool games.

Needless to say all six Test venues will host matches.

Newlands, in addition to a Super Six game was given three pool games.

The semi-finals have been allocated to Kingsmead in Durban and St George's Park in Port Elizabeth.

Kingsmead will also host one Super Six game and three pool games and Port Elizabeth the same.

Five matches will be played at Supersport Park in Centurion and in Bloemfontein while the Wanderers will host one Super Six match and three pool games in addition to the final.

As part of the Africanisation programme adopted by the 2003 World Cup committee, Zimbabwe will also be allocated about five or six games.