The International Cricket Council today confirmed details of the playing conditions that will apply for the ICC Champions Trophy 2004.

These are based on the standard One-Day International playing conditions used around the world, with the addition of conditions specific to this tournament.

A simple point-scoring system has been adopted for the group stage, which excludes the use of bonus points. Games that cannot be finished on the first day will continue on the reserve days allocated for all matches. The decision to reduce overs because of weather interruptions will only apply to the reserve day.

Particular points of interest are:

Points scoring: Two points will be allotted for a win, one for a tie or no-result, and zero for a loss. If runs are equal in both innings, the result is a tie; no account will be taken of the number of wickets lost. There will be no bonus point system.

If teams are equal on points and wins, the net run rate will be the next criterion for deciding which team is positioned higher at the end of the group stage, rather than who beat whom.

Reserve days: All group stage and finals matches will have a reserve day provided to counter bad weather. Any match interrupted by weather on the first day will continue on the reserve day (unlike in the ICC Champions Trophy 2002, where a new match was started if no result was reached on the first day).

The Duckworth-Lewis system will be used to determine revised targets in the event of weather affecting a match and resulting in overs being reduced. A reduction in overs will only take place on the reserve day.

Weather interrupted matches: A minimum of 20 overs per side must be completed to constitute a match. This is a new playing condition that reduces the minimum number of overs from the previous requirement of 25 overs per side. A bowler will be allowed to deliver a maximum of one-fifth of the innings total, or four overs in a 20 over match.

Wides: Additional crease markings will be incorporated and used by umpires as a guideline to call wide deliveries on the offside (this is already standard practice for overseas series and tournaments).

Hours of play: All ICC Champions Trophy matches will be played as day games, beginning at 1015 BST [1445 IST] with a scheduled finishing time of 1800 [2230 IST] hours. Twenty minutes extra time can be played on the first day.

David Richardson, ICC general manager, cricket, said: "These playing conditions are consistent with those used in most One Day International cricket, but with the agreement of participating countries we have made a number of changes to reflect the particular circumstances of this tournament. For example, the provision of reserve days will provide the best opportunity of completing all matches, which is particularly important in a short-format event like this.

"By deciding against the use of bonus points, there is clarity in the points scoring system, while the new benchmark of 20 overs as the minimum number to constitute a match has already been trialled in England this summer. It will also be adopted for all ODI cricket around the world after the ICC Champions Trophy."