Kerry Tattersall (l) and Andrew Eade (r) at Seebarn on European Cricket Day Photo © ECC

It has been an exceptionally busy season to date in Austria, with 11 teams in the Open League, Zagreb CC being the latest to join, and a twelfth team, St P–lten CC, who are playing Friendlies this season, waiting in the wings.

To accommodate the burgeoning fixture list, a second ground at Seebarn has been brought into use, and Austria now often plays host to up to six matches a weekend.

The second ground was opened on European Cricket Day by Kerry Tattersall, Honorary President of Vienna CC, and Andrew Eade, the ICC World Development Manager. Work started in May on a pavilion for Seebarn, and, apart from a close call with a high pressure water main, building work is on schedule to allow players at the forthcoming ECC Trophy to make use of its facilities.

Furthermore, the nets have been completely relaid, and the second ground will soon be boasting a pair of sightscreens of its own.

Concordia CC, meanwhile, have drawn up plans for their own ground, on the outskirts of Vienna, and the site was inspected by ECC and ICC officials on European Cricket Day.

Vienna CC, boosted by their third successive indoor championship, set the early pace with three comprehensive victories, before taking on Lords CC, the champions for the last four seasons, who were enjoying a similar record.

The game will go down as one of the matches of the season, with VCC scoring 176-8 in their fifty overs, which initially looked a very inadequate total.

In the end, however, a dramatic collapse, with Lords losing 7 wickets for 11 runs, was to hand VCC a handsome victory. Subsequent victories against Ljubljana CC, Pakistan CC, CC Velden and Zagreb CC have assured qualification for the knock out stage, and victory against Sri Lanka and Concordia would maintain a 100% winning record.

Lords, however, were not to be discouraged and in their two subsequent games, against Sri Lanka SC, who had also started the season with three wins, and Pakistan Falken CC, they racked up an astronomical 816 runs in 100 overs faced.

Their total of 356-5 against Sri Lanka, including 140* from Makhan Bharti, the highest score ever in the Open League, was then beaten again as they posted 460-8 against Pakistan Falken, both openers retiring upon reaching their centuries, with their victories by large margins more or less guaranteeing their knock-out slot.

Concordia CC, after a very disappointing 2000 season, are currently third in the table, having lost just one game and look close to sealing their qualification into the knock-out stages, with a fourth win against Sri Lanka, who will have a keenly contested battle with Pakistan CC for the remaining knock-out spot.

CC Velden '91, Austria's cricketing outpost in Carinthia, have had another frustrating season, although the highlight of their season must be Paul Singh's 7 wicket haul in their victory over Zagreb CC.

Ljubljana CC, whose bowling attack has been one of the most reliable in the league have had a couple of good wins this season, including a successful run chase against Five Continents CC, led from the front by captain Marc Oman.

Last year's runners-up, United Nations CC have not managed a win so far and their total of 46 all out against Pakistan CC was the lowest in the league.

The ACA Trophy, which also features Prague CC and St P–lten CC and has featured teams from Budapest and Warsaw, has been the only victim to the weather with most of the second round rescheduled to be replayed on 21-22 July.

In the first round, 15 year old Lakhmal Kasthuriarachige, a member of the Austrian youth squad took a hat-trick against Prague CC, ending up with figures of 3-15, having also held the catch that gave Benji Loader a hat-trick for the VCC XI against St P–lten CC three weeks before.

The U15 and U17 teams both played host to Tegernsee CC from Germany, a reciprocal visit following Concordia CC's visit there in March.

Having bowled out Tegernsee for 130, the side was in deep trouble before Pascal Cyniburk, Austrian born and bred captain of the U15 national side, and Amit Kumar shared in an unbeaten stand to take the team to a 4 wicket victory.

Unfortunately, the following day's game fell victim to a downpour at Seebarn.

The U17 side is currently in Corfu for the ECC Under 17B championships, and the U15 team will be taking part in the ECC U15B Tournament in Berlin in August.

The national team took on Trentino CC as part of a training weekend in Velden, winning both games comfortably.

This was the first opportunity for ex-Somerset player, Gary Palmer, Austria's new coach, to meet the side.

The side will be playing against the touring Crusaders CC team at the end of July, before taking on the Pakistan Ambassador's XI for the Embassy Cup before the ECC Trophy.

The Crusaders will be playing four games in Austria, with games against Ljubljana CC, CC Velden '91, Austria and Vienna CC.