The prestigious La Manga Club resort in Spain will once again cement its reputation for providing first-rate facilities and attracting world-class sports events, when it hosts an International Cricket Council (ICC) tournament later this month.

The ICC European Championship will see teams from the Isle of Man, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Israel and Malta battle it out in a series of round-robin matches for the Division 3 Championship crown.

ICC European development manager Richard Holdsworth commented: �We are very pleased to be using the excellent facilities at La Manga Club again and it is wonderful for the resort and our hosts, Cricket Espana, to be holding their first ICC senior event.

�We look forward to a superb week of cricket which will hopefully help raise the profile of our great sport in Spain.�

La Manga Club�s continued investment in cricket facilities has seen the addition of two regulation club turf pitches and four full-length nets, bolstering its position as the �home of cricket� in Spain.

County and international sides have chosen the resort for their training base on many occasions as the outstanding cricket facilities are just part of the overall attraction of Europe�s number one sports and leisure resort, with a luxury five-star hotel, serviced apartments and a Mediterranean climate that makes it possible to train outdoors in the sunshine all year round.

La Manga Club also runs a series of popular �In-Touch� junior cricket academies during school holiday periods.

For more information on cricket at La Manga Club, visit www.cricket.lamangaclub.com

ENDS

Issued by the Azalea Group. For more information or images contact Lee Todd or Sean Noble on 08700 330 550 or email lee@theazaleagroup.com or sean@theazaleagroup.com.

Further Information:

LA MANGA CLUB � www.lamangaclub.com As a result of 37 years of continued investment, innovation and commitment to excellence, which have ensured that it has remained at the forefront of the sector, La Manga Club is widely recognised as Spain�s flagship resort and as one of the finest in the world. Evidence of this is provided by its numerous World Travel Award nominations and prizes, such as the World�s Leading Sports Resort (top 5, 2006 and 2007), Spain�s Leading Golf Resort (winner, 2006), Europe�s Leading Golf Resort (winner, 2001, 2003 and 2005), and Europe�s Leading Conference Hotel (winner, 2003). In addition, the hotel obtained the prestigious Q for Quality certification in 2002. La Manga Club is a spectacular resort located in the Murcia region of south-east Spain. Set out over an area of some 560 hectares (approx. 1,400 acres), it offers visitors a five-star hotel, luxury vacation apartments and 450 hectares of sports facilities, highlights of which include its three 18-hole golf courses, 28 tennis courts and its eight-pitch professional football centre, which also offers facilities for cricket, rugby and Gaelic football. The resort is also home to innumerable leisure facilities, such as the 2000m2 Spa La Manga Club with its 13 luxurious treatment rooms, comprehensive fitness centre and 25m indoor swimming pool; meeting, banqueting and incentive facilities, and more than 20 restaurants and bars. La Manga Club is located in a unique setting amid the rolling hills that separate the crystalline Mediterranean from the warm waters of the Mar Menor Sea in Murcia, southern Spain. Lying to the south of the Costa Blanca, this region is known as the Costa C�lida, or 'warm coast', thanks to its mild, year-round Mediterranean climate. Between two seas Discover the two seas that bathe the Region�s coastline. The Mediterranean is a warm sea, dotted with coves and fine sandy beaches, which offers unforgettable diving both because of the clarity of its waters and because of the exuberance of the marine life that thrives there. The Mar Menor is the ideal setting for water sports such as windsurfing, kitesurfing, sailing, canoeing or jet-skiing. The absence of large waves makes this lagoon into an unbeatable ally when it comes to harnessing the winds. Suitable for all levels. Whatever the time of year, there are more than 30 water sport schools along the coast. Here the sun is always shining. www.murciaturistica.es