Cricket: Decker Curry's flight from Toronto following a row with national coach Ken Rutherford has opened a premature inquest into what now looks certain to be a failed World Cup qualifying campaign, writes David Townsend.
Ireland can still squeeze into fourth place in the Super League and contest the World Cup qualifying final but to do so they will have to beat Holland today and Canada tomorrow, and then hope other results turn out favourably.
The reality, however, is that Ireland's three wins to date have come against teams who are no longer competing in this ICC Trophy and with the notable exception of the Joyce brothers they have not shown the consistency to suggest last place in the Super League is a false position.
Super League - Holland (P5, W4, L1) 8 pts; Scotland (P5, W4, L1) 8 pts; Namibia (P5, W3, L2) 6 pts; Denmark (P5, W2, L3) 4 pts; USA (P5, W2, L 3) 4 pts; UAE (P5, W2, L3) 4 pts; Canada (P5, W2, L3) 4 pts; Ireland (P5, W1, L4) 2 pts.
Hockey: Dutch skill was once more in evidence when the Netherlands beat Ireland in all four matches on the opening day of the European Youth Cup tournaments yesterday.
In San Sebastian (Spain) the Irish boys managed to register a goal in both games even if the Dutch finished in control, 3-1 at under-16 level and 4-1 in the senior match.
Gareth Watkins scored for Ireland after the under-16s had gone three down at an early stage and with Neil Lyons to the fore, nothing more was conceded in the second half. Goalkeeper Gareth Lennox confined the Dutch under-18s to a 1-0 interval lead and there was a moment of hope in the second period when Fran Lee made the scoreline 2-1 before the opposition pulled clear in the last 10 minutes.
In the girls' competition in Padua (Italy) the Irish under16s went under 5-0 while the under-18s, after holding the Dutch scoreless in the first half, lost 4-0. Both goalkeepers, Shauna Frey and Leanne Forsythe, excelled.
