Dunedin City Council special projects co-ordinator Kim Newman yesterday confirmed the council would make a bid to host games for the tournament which is being jointly staged in New Zealand and Australia.
The council is working closely with Otago Cricket Association (OCA) and is confident of putting together a compelling bid by the December 18 deadline.
However, Dunedin is unlikely to get "top-of-the-range" games.
"I think with any major international event it's always great exposure for the city," Newman said.
"Admittedly, we will not end up with top-of-the-range matches ... but it will still be a fun and exciting tournament for the city to host."
OCA chief executive Ross Dykes was cautiously optimistic when contacted forcomment.
"Certainly, we would be very keen to host some games, but we've got to make sure the demands of hosting a game are not more than we can cope with," Dykes said.
The University Oval has a growing reputation as an international venue.
Improvements to the drainage system and the expansion of the playing surface 18 months ago mean the ground now ranks among the country's elite venues.
The ground will host the opening test of the series between the Black Caps and England in March and has hosted tests against Bangladesh, the West Indies, Pakistan and South Africa.
The picturesque ground was rated as one of the best places to watch test cricket in a survey by influential cricket publication The Cricketer earlier this year.
"The structure around the game is pretty much there," Dykes said.
"But some of the requirements the World Cup will have around security and for media coverage might be a bit more stringent than we've got. But, generally speaking, the University Oval is up to international standard."
If the bid is approved, Dykes is hopeful the city will get at least two games.
"The more games you can play the more economic it becomes," he said.
"Also there are warm-up games as well, so if a venue gets selected, then it is unlikely it will be for just one game."
The council is hoping for a decision by mid to late-February.
The costs to the city are yet to be determined.
