Jersey to host ICC World Cricket League Division 5 tournament

Dubai, May 15 (UNI) In its bid to expand the game's reach in different parts of the world, the ICC has awarded World Cricket League Division 5 tournament-2008 to the island of Jersey.

The decision follows a recent visit to the island by an ICC Development team to inspect the country's suitability for promotion to Associate membership, which will be voted on at the ICC Annual Conference at Lord's in June.

Jersey has been an Affiliate Member of ICC since June 2005 and as such is one of the more recent additions to the ICC's Development Program. Selection to host this global event is recognition of the successful developments that the Jersey Cricket Board (JCB) has achieved over the past two years since gaining membership, according to an ICC release.

The largest of the Channel Islands, Jersey is located off the north coast of France and has a population of around 90,000 people.

Approximately 3,500 participate in the game in Jersey. There are six grounds with turf squares on the island, which play host to a league structure made up of more than 40 teams competing across two weekend divisions, three evening league divisions and two indoor league divisions. There are also a further 47 teams that compete at junior level.

The WCL Div 5 is scheduled to take place sometime in May or June of 2008, but the exact date is yet to be confirmed. Originally planned to be an eight-team event, a recent decision at the ICC Development Committee meeting earlier this month opted to expand the league to include 12 teams.

The Teams: Botswana, US, Afghanistan, Norway, Nepal, Singapore, Jersey, Mozambique, Bahamas, Germany and two teams yet to qualify from the East-Asia Pacific region.

The top two teams from the Division 5 tournament will progress to WCL Div. 4 which is a six-team round-robin event to be staged in late 2008 at a venue yet to be confirmed.

UNI