Absent Ryder gets the chop

Digest:Jesse Ryder, Ireland's overseas professional, failed to show up for Ireland's Friends Provident Trophy match against Surrey yesterday.

An irate coach Phil Simmons, who received only a text message but no further communication from the 22-year-old New Zealander, condemned Ryder's behaviour as unprofessional and has ruled him out of ever playing for Ireland again, writes Richard Gillis.

As it was the traditional bank holiday weather in Britain put paid to any chance of play at The Oval and the match was abandoned without a ball being bowled. The final decision to abandon the game came at 3pm. The persistent and heavy rain threatens to undermine play at today's match against Sussex at Hove.

The hosts, the current county champions, will be keen to get the game on as they retain a chance of qualification through to the knockout stages.

This is the final away trip of Ireland's Friends Provident campaign, which culminates in two further home matches: against Middlesex in Belfast on Sunday June 10th and against Glamorgan at Clontarf on Wednesday 13th.

HOCKEY:With both countries weakened by the involvement of key players in European club competition Ireland and Germany shared the honours in their two meetings over the weekend, yesterday's 3-2 win in Warteiner a rare Irish victory over the world champions, writes Mary Hannigan.

Having won 3-0 on Saturday the Germans seemed set for another comfortable win when they went 2-0 up four minutes in to the second half yesterday, but Michael Watt pulled a goal back on 53 minutes before Stephen Butler's penalty corner expertise yielded two more goals, the winner coming in the final minute.

Having beaten the Netherlands Antilles at Belfield on Saturday, Alex Speers getting the only goal of the game, the Irish women's team suffered a 3-0 defeat by their visitors yesterday, going a goal down after four minutes before conceding two more in the final three minutes. The teams meet again this morning (9.0) at the same venue.

On the club front there were mixed fortunes for Pembroke Wanderers and Hermes in the European Champions Trophy, Pembroke beating Switzerland's Rotweiss Wettingen 5-4 on penalty strokes, after a 2-2 draw, a result that should seal their place in the Eurohockey league which begins in October, while Hermes lost 2-1 to Lithuania's HC Gintra in their promotion play-off - Jenny Burke got Hermes' goal, her eighth in four games.

BASKETBALL: In recognition of his central role in the UCC Demons progress to the National Cup final and Superleague play-offs, Niall Murphy was named Irish basketball's player of the year at Saturday's awards ceremony in Citywest, writes Gavin Cummiskey.

Coach of the year went to Killester's Mark Keenan after the north Dublin club claimed Superleague and northern conference titles. Lindsay Peat of DCU Mercy won the woman's Superleague individual award after her contribution to the university teams first ever title.

Coach of the year went to Jim Nugent of UL Aughinish. Ireland's only NBA representative, Pat Burke, a cult hero with the Phoenix Suns, won the men's international award, while Dearbhla Breen was the female recipient.

MOTOR SPORT: Irish crews filled the first three places in the Jim Clark International Rally, with Eugene Donnelly and Paul Kiely scoring a clear-cut victory over Tim McNulty and Diarmuid Falvey, writes Brian Foley.

Eamonn Boland and Francis Regan in a Ford Focus WRC finished third behind the two Subaru WRCs. Mark Higgins with Rory Kennedy (Letterkenny) on the pace notes was fourth overall and winner of Group N in a Subaru Impreza, gaining maximum points in the concurrently run round of the Tesco 99 Octane British Rally Championship. Donnelly has narrowed the gap to Higgins in the Global International Tarmac Championship, 39 points to 46, with Boland third on 29 points.