Ground and date depends on result of last group match between Kenya and Ireland
The International Cricket Council today confirmed the two possible dates and venu
es for the ICC Intercontinental Cup 2007-08 final.With one match remaining in the group stage of the tournament, only Namibia is assured of its place in the decider. Its opponent will depend on the result of the Kenya v Ireland match which takes place at Nairobi Gymkhana from 11 to 14 October.
If defending champion Ireland takes all 20 points from the match or ties on first innings before winning the game outright, it will proceed to its third final in a row. But if Kenya can win the game or even take first-innings points, it will join its fellow African side in the decider.
A Namibia v Ireland final will take place at St George’s Park , Port Elizabeth , from 30 October to 3 November while a final involving Namibia and Kenya will be held at Outsurance Oval, Bloemfontein , from 6 to 10 November.
The reason for different dates is because of varying commitments of the teams involved and the limited availability of the grounds in question. A neutral venue is preferred over one side enjoying home advantage. Last year’s final between Ireland and Canada was held at Grace Road , the home of Leicestershire County Cricket Club in England .
The ICC Intercontinental Cup has quickly grown in stature and profile since its inception four years ago and now the ICC’s premier first-class tournament is an integral part of the Associate Members’ cricket schedule.
Having previously been designed around a two-group, three-day format, the event has evolved into an eight-team, round-robin and truly global tournament featuring four-day cricket which gives those teams who do not play Test cricket the chance to experience the longer form of the game.
Scotland won the first ICC Intercontinental Cup in 2004, beating Canada in the final, while Ireland has been victorious in both events since then, beating Kenya in the 2005 decider and Canada in the 2006-07 event.
ICC MEDIA RELEASE