The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) have signed an agreement with CricInfo to manage the ECB and MCC’s joint web-site. The deal runs for an initial period of 90 days to cover the 2000 domestic cricket season.

ECB Marketing Manager Terry Blake talks to Kate Laven about the plans for the new website. Audio 16k (3:17m)

The newly-designed site, which went 'live' yesterday at the Second Cornhill Test Match and can be found at www.ecb.co.uk, will build on the extensive on-line coverage already provided by ECB and MCC, but will provide a host of additional benefits to the user.

Increased audio coverage will mean that browsers all over the world will be able to listen to live on-line ball by ball commentary for the major matches of the summer, beginning with next month’s NatWest Series matches.

Live news updates, video and text feature stories and clips, interviews, chatrooms, statistics, player profiles and diaries, cricket development information, competitions, ticket offers, auctions and many other attractions will make the site a mine of knowledge and interest for the game in England and Wales.

Terry Blake, ECB's Marketing Director, said, "English cricket has a tremendous opportunity to promote itself through on-line activities and we are delighted to be working with the most successful cricket site in the world. ECB and its partners, MCC (www.lords.org), are in discussions with all the constituent bodies of English cricket about various long-term strategic opportunities, including e-commerce; in the short-term, however, CricInfo has helped us establish an enhanced presence in the marketplace this summer."

David Batts, MCC's Deputy Chief Executive, said "This is a very exciting time for cricket in England and Wales and we are right behind the ECB’s ‘one-game’ approach. What better time to re-launch the web-site than for the 100th Test Match at Lord's."

Simon King, Chief Executive of CricInfo Ltd, said: "We are absolutely delighted to be working with the ECB and MCC. This has always been a key aim for CricInfo ever since its founding. CricInfo shares a vision of a strong and popular English game, from playground to Test Arena, and is utterly committed to assisting the ECB and MCC achieve these goals.

"Together, using the considerable resources at each of our organisations' disposal, we will create the strongest possible promotional and commercial platform for the English game, bringing cricket to the predominantly young and ever-expanding on-line audience both at home and world-wide in a new, innovative and attractive manner."

For further information, please contact Mark Hodgson, ECB (Tel: 020 7432 1251); Chris Rea, MCC (020 7432 1050); Graham McKechnie, CricInfo (01249 700733)