ECB XI beat Ireland in washed-out opener

The England & Wales Cricket Board's XI beat Ireland 2-1 in a bowl-out after the first match of the ECC Championship following heavy rain which left the Kampong ground in Utrecht unplayable.

The result of the match was decided by 10 players from each side - the wicketkeepers wisely chose to stand down - taking it in turns to bowl at a single stump after the ECB XI refused to play on the soaked artificial surface.

Both teams agreed to the method, and the ECB XI took the lead when Chris Mole, from Devon, hit the stump. Naseer Shaukat levelled the scores for Ireland, but Lincolnshire's Emmett Wilson eventually sealed a win for the ECB XI.

Adrian Burrell, the Irish coach, was obviously not happy with the result, saying: "We're obviously disappointed at the way things panned out. The umpires needed the consent of both sides to be able to play. We were quite keen to get a game going, but it didn't work out like that."

The ECB XI take on Denmark today (July 19), and Holland face Scotland, with both matches being played at Deventer, where fair weather is expected. The results of the ECC Championship will be used to rank teams for the ICC Trophy in Ireland next year.