NAIROBI, Nov 28: Kenya will stage a pre-World Cup competition next year for the top six associate teams heading to the March-April tournament in the Caribbean, officials said on Tuesday.

The Netherlands, Scotland, Ireland, Canada and Bermuda will join hosts Kenya for one-day matches during the Jan 30-Feb 7 competition, to be held at three grounds in Nairobi.

“ICC (International Cricket Council) match referee Mike Proctor inspected all the grounds in June and made recommendations on what needed to be done,” said Tom Tikolo, chief executive of Cricket Kenya and a former national captain.

“We are improving the scoreboards, outfields, pavilions, changing rooms and showers,” he said, adding that the final ICC inspection of the facilities was due to take place on Wednesday.

The tournament will be called ICC World Cricket League Division One, said ICC spokesman James Fitzgerald. It will be staged at Nairobi Gymkhana, Nairobi Jaffreys and Ruaraka cricket grounds in the Kenyan capital.

“The top two from the WCL will qualify for the inaugural ICC Twenty20 World Championship in South Africa next September and will receive $250,000 each,” he told Reuters.

Fixtures:

Jan 30: Canada v Netherlands, Kenya v Bermuda, Scotland v Ireland

Jan 31: Canada v Scotland, Bermuda v Ireland, Kenya v Netherlands

Feb 2: Kenya v Ireland, Netherlands v Scotland, Canada v Bermuda

Feb 4: Netherlands v Bermuda, Ireland v Canada, Kenya v Scotland

Feb 5: Scotland v Bermuda, Kenya v Canada, Ireland v Netherlands

Feb 7: Final.—Reuters