The ECC's European Development Manager, Ian Stuart, and the ECC Trophy Tournament Director, Richard Mockridge, visited a cold and snowy Vienna over the weekend of 7th-8th December in preparation for the forthcoming ECC Trophy, which will be held in Vienna and Lower Austria between 10th and 17th August 2003, and which provisionally is a 12 team tournament (at the time of writing), and is the most important tournament for ICC affiliate members in Europe, also serving as a qualifying tournament for the ECC European Championships. It was through finishing as runners up in the 2001 ECC Trophy that Austria qualified for the ECC European Championships in Northern Ireland.

Ian and Richard also attended the ACA's League Meeting, at which the formats of competitions for the 2003 season were finalised, before meeting the organising committee for the 2003 ECC Trophy. On the Sunday morning there was an inspection of the grounds that will be hosting the ECC Trophy, namely Vienna CC's grounds in Seebarn, Lower Austria, and Concordia CC's ground in Markommannenstrasse in the 22nd district of Vienna. The League Meeting also served as an opportunity to meet representatives of other clubs in Austria, as well as representatives from Ljubljana CC, who play in the Austrian League.

© Austrian Cricket Association