Ireland and SA by rain

The busiest representative season ever for Ireland's national cricket team is going steadily down the plug-hole of this truly appalling summer. Last month, the Bangladeshi tourists had four one-day games rained off; yesterday at Downpatrick it was the turn of the South Africans, as the match was abandoned after a second stoppage of play.

The morning had been fine, and the large attendance waited for the fireworks, as South Africa batted first. But the Irish provided the early thrills, as Paul McCrum removed Hansie Cronje and Darryl Cullinan (the latter for a duck) with only four runs scored. Gordon Cooke then had Brian McMillan well caught by Stephen Smyth, and another chance was lost when Angus Dunlop decked the catch which would have dismissed Jonty Rhodes with only 58 runs on the board.

After Rhodes had added a brisk 39, Mark Boucher and Shaun Pollock (the latter an undefeated 116 off 127 balls, 10 fours and one six) put South Africa back on the rails. Cooke was Ireland's most successful bowler with four wickets, and 60 off his 10 overs was not bad, in the circumstances.

Ed Joyce was soon out when Ireland batted, going for a single on the naive assumption that Rhodes had misfielded, perish the thought. To atone for his initial brief juggle, Rhodes brilliantly smashed the wicket to run out Joyce.

Ireland were on 34 for one off 10 overs at the first rain interruption, and were on 72 for 2 off 16.2 overs when the game was abandoned, so let's hope for more benign weather at Castle Avenue tomorrow. Alan Rutherford (Woodvale) is out of that match, and also out of Ireland's European Cup campaign, for business reasons, and his place behind the stumps in both instances goes to Jonathan Bushe (Waringstown).