Jon Long - ICC Corporate Affairs

The accreditation process opens today for the ICC Trophy Ireland 2005 from 1-13 July ö the event which will determine the final five qualifiers for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007.

International media interested in finding out more about the ICC Trophy should do one of the following:

1. To obtain an 'international media' accreditation application form for this event, please contact natalie.ghamar@icc-cricket.com (+44 (0) 207 266 1818) with the words 'ICC Trophy Media Accreditation' in the subject field.
   International media intending to attend the event must submit a completed application form no later than 31 May to guarantee a place at the event.
2. If you do not intend to travel to the event but are interested in receiving regular information updates before and during the tournament, please contact natalie.ghamar@icc-cricket.com (+44 (0) 207 266 1818) with the words 'ICC Trophy Email Updates' in the subject field.

The eighth ICC Trophy will see 42 matches held at a record 25 venues across northern and southern Ireland beginning with six matches in the Belfast area on 1 July and concluding with the final at Clontarf near Dublin on 13 July.

The inaugural ICC Trophy took place in England in 1979 and this year's tournament is taking place just a short hop across the Irish Sea from the country that hosted the first three events. Media in England for the Ashes who are not able to make it for the whole event may be interested in one or more of the following options:

Short-stay Option 1 - Thursday 7 July ö final round of group games
At the end of the day's play, four of the five qualifiers for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 will be known. Matches on the day include holders, Holland, against one of the favourites, Scotland, with the possibility that the winner will be going to the Caribbean and the loser may miss out on a place at cricket's biggest ODI event. All 12 teams will be playing at venues that are within a short distance of Belfast.

Option 2 ö Saturday 9 July to Monday 11 July ö semi-finals and fifth-place playoff
On Saturday 9 July the semi finals will take place at Clontarf and The Hills near Dublin. At the same time there will be four sides battling it out in play-off matches for the final ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 qualifying spot at Malahide and North County. The winners of these two play-off matches will take part in the crucial fifth-place decider at Clontarf on Monday 11 July.

Option 3 ö Wednesday 13 July ö the final
The last two ICC Trophy tournaments have been decided on the final ball. Clontarf will host the climax of the 2005 event.

ICC Trophy 2005 is, in many ways, all about five. As well as the five qualifying places at the ICC Cricket World Cup, there are five former winners and, fittingly, just a year after the event celebrated its Silver Jubilee, the ICC Trophy 2005 matches will be played at a record 25 venues across Ireland.

A separate accreditation process will operate for media based in Ireland, details of which will be announced locally in the build-up to the tournament.

For further information: Jon Long
ICC Corporate Affairs
Ph: + 44 (0) 20 7266 7912
Mob: + 44 (0) 7946 545 090
Email: jon.long@icc-cricket.com