Tasmania aims to host women's World Cup

Tasmania has set its sights on hosting the women's World Cup in 2009, but it will have to convince Cricket Australia it is a better option than New South Wales. The three-week event will be held in Australia in March 2009 but it is up to CA to decide in which state Australia will defend the title they won in South Africa in 2005.

David Johnston, the Tasmanian Cricket Association's CEO, wants the matches to be held at Hobart, Launceston and Devonport. He hopes that if Tasmania is successful, it could lead to an increase in women's cricket participation and ultimately improve the state's chances of fielding a team in the Women's National Cricket League.

"Tasmania and the TCA are ideally equipped with facilities, expertise, personnel and climate to host a truly successful women's World Cup," he said. "The ability to move around the state easily, the affordable cost structures and high media exposure the event will generate are seen as major advantages over the other tender bid, New South Wales."

The tournament will feature 31 matches as well as up to 16 warm-up contests and six games would be broadcast internationally. The women's World Cup was last held in Australia in 1988, when Perth, Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne all hosted matches. CA will announce which state's bid has been successful in August.