Gloucestershire and Somerset will go head-to-head in a quest to stage World Cup cricket matches in 2019.
England will host the tournament for the first time since 1999 and the process of selecting ten venues has already commenced. The England and Wales Cricket Board have confirmed all nine Test grounds will host games, yet the identity of the tenth and final venue has to be determined.
Bristol is an obvious contender for the final spot, having successfully staged one-day internationals for more than a decade, but the Bristol Post understands Taunton is being considered as a possible alternative.
Plans to redevelop the County Ground at Taunton to the standard required for ODI cricket are set to be completed by 2015 and Somerset have already applied to the ECB for Category B status, which would enable them to stage international matches in the future.
Given that ECB officials want a geographical spread to ensure the World Cup reaches all parts of the country, there will be scope for just one West Country venue.
A tendering process will begin in the autumn and Bristol and Taunton are expected to bid for matches along with Lord's, The Oval, Edgbaston, Trent Bridge, Old Trafford, Headingley, Chester-le-Street, Cardiff and Southampton.
Bristol boasts a proven track record when it comes to staging high-profile one-day internationals in the city, having first hosted World Cup matches involving India, Pakistan, Kenya and West Indies in 1999.
Gloucestershire's Nevil Road headquarters has since staged 11 ODIs, most of them involving England and watched by sell-out crowds of between 11,000 and 15,000.
But Bristol's status as an international venue came under threat when Gloucestershire officials were told they would have to dramatically improve facilities if the ECB were going to consider Nevil Road in the future.
A £6 million ground redevelopment scheme was given the go-ahead last year by Bristol City Council and the first phase of the ambitious project is on course to be completed in August.
Gloucestershire chief executive Tom Richardson said: "We are passionate about our status as a venue for top-level international cricket and we are very keen for that to continue. We are very keen to stage World Cup games here and are up for the challenge.
"Redeveloping the ground is the key to it all and we will soon have excellent media, TV and hospitality facilities to rival anything in the country.
"In addition, we will have the Ashley Down Road railway link up and running before 2019 and a 17,000 ground capacity, which will make us a very attractive proposition.
"We are working closely with Bristol City Council to put a bid together to host an England versus Australia game in 2015 and look forward to building upon that relationship in a bid to bring World Cup cricket to the city."
Commenting on the search for World Cup venues, ECB chief executive David Collier said: "The signing of the host agreement with the International Cricket Council enables us to enter into agreements with venues who wish to stage matches.
"The organising team from the 2013 Champions Trophy, led by tournament director Steve Elworthy, will commence the preparation work for the World Cup immediately following the Champions Trophy final at Edgbaston on June 23."
The 2019 tournament, awarded to England in 2006, is scheduled to involve ten teams, four fewer than the 14 that will contest the 2015 event, co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
Teams in the top eight of the ICC rankings will qualify automatically, with the remaining two places decided by a separate qualification competition.
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