CRICKET: The champagne must stay on ice for just one more day. Barring an unlikely set of circumstances, cricketing history will be made tomorrow as Ireland strive to make it through to the ICC World Cup for the first time.
Yesterday's game against the USA in The Lawn at Waringstown was rained off without a ball being bowled and although having to share the points with the bottom-placed side is not ideal, it matters little to the group table as all games in Section A were also foiled by the weather.
For Jason Molins' team to fail to get into the semi-finals and thus win a place in the 2007 World Cup, not only would they have to lose to Denmark at Bangor tomorrow, but their healthy net run-rate means they would have to do so by a huge margin.
Also, Bermuda would have to beat the USA in a similar fashion. Having destroyed a stronger Danish team than the present one in the European Championships in Utrecht last summer and with Bermuda unlikely to beat the Americans by a score that could overhaul Ireland's rate, the place in the West Indies looks assured.
"It was frustrating not to play today, but we are in a strong position and looking forward to Thursday," said captain Molins. "We're another step closer, definitely. Hopefully, we can go and win that game and that will be enough to get us to the World Cup."
With all its facts and figures, cricket is a statistician's dream and the anoraks have their record books at the ready for a couple of Irish cricket milestones that are about to be reached.
Ireland's game tomorrow will be its 600th since the first one back in 1855 and it will also be a special day for Kyle McCallan, who will become Ireland's most capped player to date with 122, beating the record currently held by YMCA's Alan Lewis.
"It is great to get that many caps, but I have the utmost respect for Lewy. He was one of those guys who, when I was 14 or 15, I walked around the boundary watching and wishing to be like him. If I could be the sort of role model to people that he's been to me then I will be very happy with my Irish career," said McCallan, who is still only 29.
"I have always enjoyed it. There have been hard times. It's always more enjoyable when you are winning and with the mentality, approach and the amount of wins that we are getting now, it is hugely enjoyable," said the Waringstown all-rounder.
"I will look to play as long as I possibly can. You are a long time retired and I am enjoying every minute of it."
The ICC Trophy has not been very good to McCallan in the past. He was part of the squad that went to Malaysia in 1997, but never played a match. He was captain four years later in Toronto, but the team performed poorly amid heavy criticism of then coach Ken Rutherford and the attitude of some players.
McCallan is now looking to exorcise the demons of tournaments past. "Malaysia was a step into the unknown for me. I had no idea what was at stake. The less said about Toronto the better, but thankfully we have been able to learn from the mistakes made then and we have a coach (Adrian Birrell) in place now who has been able to right all the wrongs. All the hard work is bearing fruit."
Assuming Ireland manage to get through to the semi-finals, they will play either Scotland, the Netherlands or Canada, depending on the results of the Section B matches tomorrow.
Yesterday, in rain-affected Section B matches, Canada beat the Netherlands at Eglinton, Papua New Guinea beat Oman at Drummond and Scotland defeated Namibia at Limavady.
