LONDON, Sept 2: International Cricket Council ICC)has said that playing Conditions for ICC Champions Trophy 2004 beginning in England from Sept 10, 2004 are based on standard One Day International Playing Conditions used around the world, with addition of a number Of specific conditions for this tournament.

A simple point scoring system has been adopted for group stage, which excludes use of bonus points. Games that cannot be finished on first day will continue on reserve days allocated for all matches. The decision to reduce overs because of weather interruptions will only apply to reserve day.

Particular points of interest are: Points scoring: 2 points for a win, 1 point for a tie or no result, 0 points for a loss. If runs are equal in both innings result is a tie; no account will be taken of number of wickets lost. There will be no bonus point system used in ICC Champions Trophy.

If teams are equal on points and wins, net run rate will be next criterion for deciding which team is positioned higher at the end of group stage, rather than based on who beat who.

Reserve days: all group stage and finals matches will have a reserve day provision against bad weather. Any match interrupted by weather on first day will continue on reserve day (unlike ICC Champions Trophy 2002 where a new match was started if no result was reached on first day).

Duckworth- Lewis system will be used to determine revised targets in event of weather affected or reduced overs matches. A reduction in overs will only take place on reserve day.

Weather interrupted matches: a minimum of 20 overs per side must be completed to constitute a match. This is a new Playing Condition which reduces minimum number of overs from previous requirement of 25 overs per side. A bowler will be allowed to deliver a maximum of one fifth of innings total, ie 4 overs in a 20 overs match.

Additional crease markings will be incorporated and used by umpires as a guideline to call wide deliveries on off side (this is already standard practice for overseas series and tournaments).

All ICC Champions Trophy matches will be played as day games, beginning at 10.15am (local time) with scheduled finishing time of 18.00 hours. 20 minutes extra time can be played on first day. -PPI