da jogodeouro： Host Canada scored a four-wicket victory over USA in a warm-up matchbefore ICC Trophy gets under way Thursday
Latafat Ali Siddiqui29-Jun-2001Host Canada scored a four-wicket victory over USA in a warm-up matchbefore ICC Trophy gets under way Thursday.The event is a passport to the next World Cup, with three of the 24ICC Associate member countries competing in the tournament gainingautomatic entry to the 2003 World Cup in South Africa. These willinclude both finalists and the winner of the qualifying final.In the friendly game between the two North American sides, USA scored196 for nine in 50 overs with Canada reaching the victory targetlosing six wickets in the process. Meanwhile, Canadian CricketAssociation finalized arrangements for the World Cup qualifyingmatches.Cricket officials said here that countries have been ranked and willbe split into two divisions, one to 12, 13 to 24, and there will betwo rounds of matches. At the end of the second stage a league will beformed based on the combined points achieved from previous fixtures.Teams in first and second place contest the final, while third andfourth play in the World Cup qualifying final.The final and a number of other round matches will be played at theToronto Cricket Club. Other venues will include the Ajax, Malton,Maple Leaf CC; G. Ross Lord and Sunnybrook grounds, all of which arewithin the Greater Metro Toronto area and within a 60 minute drive ofthe City Centre.Officials said Italy’s World Cup ambitions have already been overridden by an International Cricket Council ruling that four of itsleading players were ineligible to compete. The respective passages ofNepal, West Africa and the United Arab Emirates were far from smootheither; visa problems promoting a flurry of late diplomatic activity.Nonetheless, everything is now set in place for a spectacular andsuccessful event.”The rankings have been formulated. The schedule has been unveiled. 22days in the midst of an increasingly warm Toronto summer have been setaside,” said an ICC official.He added: “An infrastructure has been made to measure and 10 grounds,replete with turf pitches which have been crafted in oftenunsympathetic conditions, have been beautifully prepared.”