Google marks the start of ICC Cricket WC 2019 with animated Doodle

The Cricket World Cup, hosted by England and Wales, begins on Thursday and the search engine giant Google is celebrating the opening of the sport's biggest event with a special doodle, reports NDTV. 

In the animation, a bowler can be seen delivering a ball and a batsman hitting it before it is caught by a fielder. The Google Doodle features a cricket ball and three stumps as well. 

Hosts and favourites England, bidding to win the trophy for the first time, will open the 46-day tournament when they face South Africa at The Oval in south London on May 30.

It will be the first fixture of a World Cup where all 10 teams will play each other in the group phase ahead of the knockout stages that will culminate with a final at Lord's in northwest London on July 14.

Eleven venues across England and Wales will be used as the ten teams in the tournament will play against each other in a single-league format, with the top four sides after 45 matches to qualify for the two semi-finals. 

The semi-finals will be played at Old Trafford in Manchester and Edgbaston in Birmingham on 9 and 11 July respectively, while Lord's will host the final on July 14.

England and Wales have previously staged Cricket World Cups in 1975, 1979, 1983 and 1999. 

Australia is the most successful team in the history of the World Cup, having won events in 1987, 1999, 2003, 2007 and 2015. The Windies won the first two editions in 1975 and 1979, while India won in 1983 and 2011. 

Other winners are Pakistan in 1992 and Sri Lanka in 1996.