Good morning from DOOOOBLIN, Ireland. Peter Della Penna here on an overcast morning at the quaint Clontarf Cricket Club on the north east part of the city. It was a beautiful day yesterday, but it was a bit rainy this morning and they are just taking the covers off the pitch right now so it's going to be a delayed start here between USA and Ireland. Pitch inspection is scheduled for 10:30 a.m., about 5 minutes from now.

 Update from the ground is that the match will start at 11:45 with the toss at 11:15. There is no scheduled loss of overs as of yet. Sunset doesn't happen until about 9:30 p.m. here so there is no worry about having enough daylight to get the match in.

 The ground here is quite small. I'd say the square boundary on the pavilion side is about 45 yards at most while the square boundary on the far side is 55 yards roughly. The long boundaries are about 55-60 yards, far smaller than what the USA team faced up to in Florida at the CBRP. So if Greg Sewdial gets in he could be in for a big day.

The word is that Ireland has won the toss and elected to field. 

 USA XI: Sewdial (captain), Taylor (wk), Mirza, Suri, Jodha Singh, Joshi, Patel, Persaud, Abdulghani, Ahmad, Sandhu.

Prashanth Nair, Trevor Singh and Hammad Shahid are sitting out today. 

Ireland XI: Dockrell (captain), Hodgins (wk), Berry, Coughlan, Hunter, MacDonnell, McBrine, McCarter, McCarthy, Hall, van der Merwe.

Ross Adair, Scott Campbell and Shane Getkate are sitting out today for Ireland. 

 Cameron Mirza and Steven Taylor are out to open for USA in dark blue brand new kits. Ireland in green that almost has a tie-dye effect doen their shirts. Graeme McCarter to open the bowling for Ireland, right arm medium fast over the stumps to Taylor on strike. It's a bit chilly outside and the players are mostly bundled up in long sleeves for USA. Ireland's squad is braving the elements in short sleeves. McCarter to bowl from the Killester End. Two slips in place.

Dot, good length ball left outside off. Wide, short and down leg. Dot, good length ball left outside off. Dot, full on the legs, clipped to midwicket. Dot, short of a length ball on the stumps, defended on the back foot to the bowler. Dot, good length ball on off stump, defended to cover. Dot, full and defended. USA 1/0 in 1.

 Hugh MacDonnell to open from the City End, running up the hill to Mirza with Hodgins up to the stumps, left arm medium over the wicket. Dot, low full toss driven to mid off. Wide, full and down leg. Wide, full and down leg, beats the keeper off his pads but fine leg stops it. More like a leg slip actually. Dot, full outside off and left. Dot, full and driven to short midwicket. Dot, short of a length and wide, left outside off. Leg bye, full on the legs, goes to flick and misses but the ball goes off the pads to square leg for a run. Taylor takes guard to MacDonnell, who stays over the wicket. Wide, short and outside off, called a wide. Dot, full outside off and left. USA 5/0 in 2, still nothing off the bat.

 McCarter to Mirza. Wide, short and way down leg side. Dot, good length ball on off stump, teases Mirza into a prod and it beats the outside edge. Dot, short of a length outside off, Mirza pulls his bat back inside the line of the ball to leave. Dot, good length ball outside off, beats Mirza again and now McCarter is starting to hum. He's a contracted player with Gloucestershire. Dot, short of a length outside off and Mirza shoulders arms. OUT! Short of a length ball on off stump, Mirza dangles the bat out, almost looked like he opened the face to try to run it to third man with two slips in place. Simple edge feathered through to the keeper and USA off to a rocky start as Mirza is gone for a duck. 6/1 in 2.5 overs. Amarnauth Persaud the new man in, left handed. Dot, fullish length ball hits Persaud high on the pads playing across the line, LBW shout denied. Great over by McCarter. USA 6/1 in 3.

 MacDonnell to Taylor. Dot, full and wide, goes to drive hard and is late. FOUR! Full on the stumps, flicks it effortlessly high and wide of Dockrell at mid on and it goes over the rope on one bounce. Dot, fullish length outside off, left alone. Dot, full and wide again, Taylor goes for another meaty drive and misses. FOUR! Full outside off, Taylor just leans forward into this one instead of a wild swing and times it superbly through the covers for his second boundary. Dot, full outside off and left. USA 14/1 in 4.

 McCarter to Persaud. Single, full on the legs, clipped just wide of midwicket and they pinch a run to get Persaud off the mark. Dot, full and wide, left alone. Short of a length ball spits off the pitch and raps Taylor on the gloves before the ball loops to point. Dot, good length ball outside off and Taylor shoulders arms. Dot, short of a length ball on the stumps, defended. Dot, short ball outside off left alone. USA 15/1 in 5.

 Slight delay here as Persaud is going through some equipment changes and the umpires are having a chat.

 MacDonnell to Persaud. Five wides, full and down leg, the keeper Hodgins got a piece of it but not all of it and it goes all the way to the rope. Wide, full outside off, signaled wide. Bye, full outside off, Persaud goes to drive and misses, Hodgins fumbles and it squirts to third man for a free run. Dot, full outside off and left. Dot, yorker length ball kept out to midwicket. Dot, full outside off and defended to point. Single, full on the stumps, driven over the bowler's head and cut off on the rope by long off. Dot. USA 23/1 in 6.

 McCarter to Taylor. Dot, full and driven to cover. Dot, full outside off and Taylor shoulders arms. Dot, full outside off and left again. Dot, short and wide, goes to cut and is beaten for pace. Dot, short of a length outside off, well wide of the stumps and left. Dot, full on the stumps, chipped uppishly but wide of the bowler to mid on. Maiden. McCarter is setting the tone early for Ireland. USA 23/1 in 7.

 Bowling change from the City End, looks like Josh Hall bowling right arm medium to Persaud, over the stumps with two slips in place. Single, good length ball on the legs, clipped off the back foot to long leg. Dot, good length ball on the stumps, defended to midwicket. The keeper is back for Hall despite the fact that he appears to bowl slower than MacDonnell who the keeper Hodgins did stand up for. Dot, full and defended to point. Dot, good length ball bounces up and into Taylor's hips as he can't get it away. Dot, full and defended into the covers. Dot, short of a length ball outside off, punched off the back foot to cover. USA 24/1 in 8.

 McCarter to Persaud. Wide, short outside off and left, wide called. Dot, fullish length outside off, driven off a thick edge to point. Leg bye, short of a length on the legs, misses a flick and it goes off the thigh guard wide of the keeper. Dot, short of a length on the stumps, defended on the back foot to cover. Three, fullish length outside off, Taylor drives wide of cover toward the far boundary and it stops short of the rope for three. Dot, full on the legs, clipped to midwicket, fantastic diving stop by Hall.Single, full and wide, sucked into a drive and it flies off the edge past second slip and is fielded by third man on the rope. USA 30/1 in 9. Taylor 12, Persaud 3.

Taylor showing great restraint here. 31 dot balls in his innings so far.

Glad that you are over there Peter.  Thanks for the updates.

Sounds like the USA are taking a bit of a cautious approach this morning.

USA!!  USA!!