Cricket: Although only 12.3 overs of this C and G Trophy match were bowled in Stormont yesterday thanks to rain, Ireland are already in deep trouble having lost three wickets for just 33 runs in conditions tailor-made for Yorkshire openers Matthew Hoggard and Tim Bresnan.
Bad weather seems to follow Ireland around in this competition, to the point that most observers would be forgiven for thinking C&G stood for Cloudy and Grim. Last year's victory over Surrey took two days to secure and it is difficult to remember the last time a full match was played without interruption.
Yesterday morning, in moist, overcast conditions conducive to seam bowling, Yorkshire skipper Craig White had no hesitation in putting Ireland into bat after he won the toss, and it paid dividends almost instantly. Jeremy Bray was out lbw with the first ball of the second over to a straight delivery from Bresnan - not a nice one to receive first up.
Skipper Jason Molins did not last much longer before Hoggard removed his middle stump, and then Andre Botha was given out by umpire Peter Hartley even though he got a huge stride down the wicket.
Peter Gillespie and Eoin Morgan looked a bit more comfortable in the middle and had brought the score to 33 when the rains came.
Play was eventually suspended for the day following an inspection at 4.30pm and will resume this morning at 10.45am.
Coach Adrian Birrell was disappointed but not downcast. "It was always going to be difficult losing that toss and batting. Conditions were ideal for bowling. We were always going to be under pressure, but losing three for 30 was disappointing but hopefully we can get back into the game with good performances.
"Our aim now would be to get to 200. It's a slower outfield than normal. The ball is not running as it usually does. With our start we cannot go and be too adventurous. We have to build the innings and hopefully have wickets in hand at the end," he said.
Dwayne Bravo recorded his maiden Test hundred to break the record of the number of individual centuries in a Test match as West Indies were bowled out for 747 on the final day of the Fourth Test against South Africa at St John's.
The all-rounder's innings of 107 ensured that the previous landmark of seven individual century makers in a Test was overhauled as the Windies took a 159-run lead over the Proteas, who declared in their first innings on 588 for six. The hosts began the day on 565 for five with Shivnarine Chanderpaul needing just 18 runs at the start to reach his 13th Test hundred, which he duly brought up by clipping Jacques Kallis to deep square leg for three runs.
Only three other matches have produced seven individual hundreds - England and Australia at Trent Bridge in 1938, the visit of Australia to Kingston in 1955 and last year's clash between these two teams in Cape Town.
IRELAND V YORKSHIRE (at Stormont)
Ireland: first innings
J Molins b Hoggard7
J Bray lbw Bresnan0
A Botha lbw Hoggard10
E Morgan no6
P Gillespie no7
Extras (2nb, 1w)3
--
Total (for 3, 12.3 overs)33
Fall of wickets: 1, 19, 24.
To bat: D Joyce, J Botha, T Johnston, K McCallan, G Cooke, A McCoubrey.
Bowling: Hoggard 6.3-0-20-2; Bresnan 6-1-10-1.
YORKSHIRE: M Wood, I Harvey, P Jaques, A McGrath, C White, M Vaughan, I Dawood, R Dawson, T Bresnan, M Hoggard.
Umpires: P J Hartley and T E Jesty.
