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Venue changes for ICC Qualifier matches

by Staff reporter
09 Mar 2018 at 06:28hrs | Views
THE ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier Group B clash between Zimbabwe and Scotland on Monday that had been scheduled for Bulawayo Athletic Club has been moved to Queens Sports Club.

The ICC yesterday announced that it had swapped venues for Monday's fixtures, with Hong Kong taking on Nepal at BAC instead of Queens.

The venue change was necessitated by an overwhelming response by Zimbabwe fans and the anticipated high attendance for the important March 12 fixture in which carryover points to the Super Six stage will be up for grabs.

Chris Tetley, ICC's head of events, said with Zimbabwe's matches well attended so far, it made sense to have their last group fixture at a venue that can accommodate more fans.

"We have seen that Zimbabwe matches have been very well attended so far and we felt moving their crucial last fixture against Scotland to a larger and better equipped venue was the best course of action, as the venue will provide better facilities to the spectators. We are thrilled to see matches at the event so very well supported, and reiterate our appreciation to all fans. Entry for all World Cup Qualifier matches is free and we encourage fans to attend the remaining matches to enjoy top class cricket and carnival experience we have seen so far," Tetley said.

A recommendation from the ICC was submitted to the Event Technical Committee to switch the last Group B fixtures, which was unanimously approved.
Fans have packed Queens Sports Club for Zimbabwe's opening two group matches against Nepal last Sunday and Afghanistan on Tuesday.

The fans briefly invaded the pitch in excitement when the Chevrons saw off Afghanistan by two runs in sensational fashion.

Scotland top Group B with six points from their three wins and Zimbabwe are second with four points from their two victories. The top three teams from the group will progress to the Super Six stage.

Points secured from the bottom two teams in the group will be discarded in the Super Six stage, making Zimbabwe's clash with Scotland even more crucial for both sides.

In Group B matches played yesterday, Scotland beat Nepal by four wickets at Queens Sports Club, while one of the pre-tournament favourites Afghanistan suffered their third loss of the competition when they went down by 30 runs to Hong Kong through the Duckworth Lewis method in a rain interrupted match at BAC.

Zimbabwe face Hong Kong at Queens tomorrow, while Afghanistan play their last group match on the same day against Nepal at BAC.


Source - chronicle
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