September 11, 2007	Tuesday	Sha'aban 28, 1428

JOHANNESBURG, Sept 10: Format, groups and schedule of the inaugural Twenty20 World Championship:

FORMAT

Twelve teams – the nine nations currently playing Test cricket and Zimbabwe, Kenya and Scotland – divided into four groups of three teams each in the preliminary league

Two teams from each group advance to the Super Eights league. The seeded teams in each group are placed 1 or 2. They will retain these places for the Super Eights stage, irrespective of whether they finish first or second in their group, unless they are knocked out by the third team in their group. In that case, team 3 replaces the position of the team they knock out.

The Super Eights league will comprise two groups of four teams each with the top two in each group advancing to the semi-finals.

Preliminary round groups:

Group A: South Africa (A1), West Indies (A2), Bangladesh

Group B: Australia (B1), England (B2), Zimbabwe

Group C: New Zealand (C1), Sri Lanka (C2), Kenya

Group D: Pakistan (D1), India (D2), Scotland:

Super Eights groups (if seeded teams advance):

Group E: A1, B2, C1, D2 — South Africa, England, New Zealand, India.

Group F: A2, B1, C2, D1 — West Indies, Australia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan.

Semi-finals: E1 v F2; F1 v E2.

SCHEDULE (All times in PST):

Preliminary round:

Sept 11: South Africa v West Indies, Johannesburg (2100).

Sept 12: New Zealand v Kenya, Durban (1300).

Sept 12: Pakistan v Scotland, Durban (1700).

Sept 12: Australia v Zimbabwe, Cape Town (2100).

Sept 13: West Indies v Bangladesh, Johannesburg (1300).

Sept 13: Zimbabwe v England, Cape Town (1700).

Sept 13: India v Scotland, Durban (2100).

Sept 14: Sri Lanka v Kenya, Johannesburg (1300).

Sept 14: Australia v England, Cape Town (1700).

Sept 14: India v Pakistan, Durban (2100).

Sept 15: Sri Lanka v New Zealand, Johannesburg (1700).

Sept 15: South Africa v Bangladesh, Cape Town (2100).

Super Eights round:

Sept 16: C1 v D2, Johannesburg (1300).

Sept 16: B1 v A2, Cape Town (1700).

Sept 16: A1 v B2, Cape Town (2100).

Sept 17: D1 v C2, Johannesburg (2100).

Sept 18: C1 v B2, Durban (1300).

Sept 18: B1 v D1, Johannesburg (1700).

Sept 18: A2 v C2, Johannesburg (2100).

Sept 19: A1 v C1, Durban (1700).

Sept 19: B2 v D2, Durban (2100).

Sept 20: B1 v C2, Cape Town (1300).

Sept 20: A2 v D1, Cape Town (1700).

Sept 20: A1 v D2, Durban (2100).

Semi-finals:

Sept 22: E2 v F1, Cape Town (1600).

Sept 22: E1 v F2, Durban (2100).

Final:

Sept 24: Johannesburg (1700).—AFP