Irish eyes are smiling

The big story of the day is Ireland's win over Gloucestershire in the C&G Trophy match at Bristol. That famous Irish spin bowler Shahid Afridi (O'Fridi?) took three wickets for four runs in eight overs to halt the home side's pursuit 47 runs short of a hardly testing 193. To wins over Surrey in 2004 and Middlesex in 1997, both in Dublin, Ireland can now add this away win and one notch towards their target of four wins out of nine in this competition.

Scotland could not match up to such giantkilling feats, although they don't have Ireland's foreign saviours of Afridi and Saqlain Mushtaq to call upon. Corey Richards and Ian Moran, a pair of little known New South Welshmen, are their overseas players and although they made 56 and 30 respectively, they could not rescue Scotland after conceding 352 for two to Warwickshire. Neil Carter and Nick Knight made 180 for the first wicket, Carter reaching his century off 68 balls while Knight was more leisurely, taking 120 over his. Scotland were bowled out for 238.

The other match today was more tense, Sussex beating Surrey by five wickets with ten balls to spare. Michael Yardy put the hard work in for Sussex as they chased down 272, having earlier taken three wickets, but he was not rewarded with a hundred, finishing not out on 98 off 105 balls. Murray Goodwin made 89 in a fourth-wicket partnership of 156 with Yardy.