Austria - cricket's gateway to eastern Europe

It is only fitting that the first ever gathering of cricket's Eastern European outposts should be hosted by the Austrian Cricket Association.

For when the ACA hosts club and representative teams from the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovenia, Croatia and Finland in August it will be a natural extension of its developmental role in the continent's East.

The ACA's role as nurturer of the Prague, Budapest and Ljubljana clubs in the past through inclusion in the Osterreichischer Cricketverband's Trophy knockout competition and friendlies is hardly surprising given the attitude towards cricket's development within Austria itself.

For while there is little that is unusual in Austria's Open League, which as the name suggests takes in cricketers of all nationalities, few countries at Austria's stage of cricket development have a league dedicated to indigenous players only - the Österreichische Meisterschaft (ÖMS).

Now in its seventh year, Austria's southern most club, Velden CC, as well as Concordia and Vienna, were last season joined by Lords CC (predominantly Indian) in the 40-over-a-side competition designed to foster native participation. (Lords fielded second generation Indians with Austrian passports).

The ÖMS, which permits two expatriate players per side, has also given youngsters the chance to experience the aspects of the outdoor game not present in Kwik Cricket (the hard ball, protective hear etc.) under the guidance of an experienced captain.

The Open League comprises 10 clubs - Five Continents, United Nations, Pakistan, Pak Falken, Sri Lanka and Slovenia's Ljubljana who join the ÖMS clubs in the 40-over-a-side competition.

The ÖMS clubs obviously have the highest indigenous participation, blended with Englishmen, Australians and South Africans. The rest have deep-rooted expatriate foundations. Vienna, Concordia, Velden and Lords have the most active development policies.

The Trophy competition will this year expand its expansionist policy to include all of the European Festival contestants except for the Finnish 'national' team.

Originally conceived as a potential 'Second Eleven' competition, the Trophy was converted to a less time-consuming knockout concept.

With Velden (in the southern province of Carinthia) only an hour from Ljubljana and the ACA at one time only having seven members, the idea of foreign involvement was almost presenting itself. It was only natural given Velden's location, that it should make the proposal.

A former turnip patch owned by a Count has helped to provide the base for the ACA which all Affiliate countries dream of.

Count Wilczek, from an old Austrian aristocratic family, had previously attended a well-known Swiss boarding school in Zuoz, where cricket is traditionally played.

When he returned to Austria he was keen to see the game played in his village and so allowed his turnip patch to be converted into Austria's first purpose built cricket ground, granting the ACA a 20-year lease.

An artificial Notts Sports pitch donated by the ICC, MCC and the then TCCB and endless hours of rolling, mowing etc has allowed the ACA to stage matches and cater to an ever increasing fixture list.

The addition of a second ground at Seebarn (located 25km north west of Vienna) will ease fixture congestion which sees five matches played on two grounds per weekend. Officials are hopeful of building its first cricket pavilion.

Together with the ground at Latschach, near Velden, the ACA will have access to three grounds. The Latschach ground is leased by a local farmer and has an artificial grass strip with crushed stone underlay. It is used exclusively for cricket.