Cricket-Australia board 'astonished' by Seven Network court action

FILE PHOTO: A construction worker walks past the Channel Seven Network studios in Melbourne February 21, 2011. West Australian Newspaper Holdings (WAN) has agreed to takeover Seven Media Group in a $4.1 billion deal to create Australia's largest television and newspaper company and more than trebles the size of WAN. REUTERS/Mick Tsikas

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Cricket Australia (CA) is "astonished" by the legal proceedings launched against it by broadcast partner the Seven Network and will "strenuously" defend itself in the court, the governing body said on Thursday.

The broadcaster has moved the court seeking to terminate its A$450 million ($309.69 million) six-year deal alleging "multiple quality and standard breaches by CA" of the media rights agreement between the two.