Travelling in hope ... or hoping to travel

The 2005 Intercontinental Cup kicks off today in Kampala. The two teams - Uganda and Kenya - are both there and practised yesterday morning, the ground is ready and the weather is set fair. All that's missing is an umpire.

One of the two officials arrived safely, but the other one was bumped off his flight from South Africa - by Kenya Airways to the delight of conspiracy theorists everywhere - and will now not arrive until the early hours. Husain Ayoob, the ICC's regional development officer, was also left kicking his heels in Johannesburg.

The pair are now not expected at Entebe airport until 9am today, and then face an entertaining one-hour drive to the ground where the match is scheduled to start at 10am. That allowed them no time to check into their hotel or even have a shower.

There was talk that the game would be delayed by an hour or two, but then, in a compromise familiar to club cricketers the world over, it was decided that a local umpire would be allowed to start the match but would stand at square leg only, with the senior official taking the main role at both bowlers' ends.