Bermuda will know whether its bid to host matches in cricket's 2007 World Cup has been successful by May, officials have said.

A consortium of British, Caribbean and South African consultants was awarded a contract to help the West Indies Cricket Board assess venues for the tournament, said Don Lockerbie, venue development director of the West Indies World Cup Organising Committee.

Officials selected British-based IMG, South Africa-based Rushmans and British-based SKM after a four-month bidding process involving 42 companies from five countries, Lockerbie said.

The three companies have carried out consulting work in previous cricket World Cups as well as in rugby and soccer Worlds Cups and the Olympics, he said, addressing the close of a two-day summit of cricket officials in St. Lucia.

The Cayman Islands-based event management company Kelly Holding Ltd. will also help assess venues for the tournament.

About 170 delegates from 15 countries, including the United States and Bermuda, attended the Venue Summit.

The West Indies, which won the first two World Cups in England in 1975 and 1979, will be hosting the tournament for the first time.

Caribbean countries can begin applying in November to host matches in cricket's 2007 World Cup.

Interested governments have until January 31 to submit applications. The consulting companies will then visit each of the bidding countries for inspections, Lockerbie said.

In February 2002, then-president of the West Indies Cricket Board Pat Rosseau said Grenada was the only Caribbean country capable of hosting World Cup matches.

Rousseau warned then that the islands could lose the chance to host the tournament if they did not improve facilities and infrastructure.

Cricket officials in the region have hired grounds experts to help Caribbean countries in upgrading facilities to be ready for regular ICC inspections leading up to the event.

Bermuda Cricket Board president Reggie Pearman, who was present to put Bermuda's case, was not available for comment yesterday as he was travelling back from the Caribbean.