VETERAN seam bowler Paul McCrum will be asked to rest his sore achilles and miss Ireland's final group game against Gibraltar today at the European Cricket Championship in Denmark.

McCrum has been the most dependable of Ireland's quicker bowlers since returning to the side in April and will be needed for tomorrow's final - even if only 80 per cent fit - given that his colleagues do not slip up against Gibraltar.

Off spinner Garfield Harrison is likely to come in for his first game of the tournament and the only real worry for the Irish selectors is the form and health of Andrew Patterson.

The young opener, who did so well in the Triple Crown only a fortnight ago, has been ill and lost weight. He has declared himself fit but looks out of sorts both with the bat and in the field and could be rested for Kyle McCallan.

Ireland's players had a day off yesterday to bask in their victory over Denmark on Tuesday that was accomplished with a little more ease than the margin of four wickets and nine balls to spare would indicate.

The defeat was not only an embarrassment for the hosts but also for the ICC who have seeded Denmark ahead of Ireland for next year's World Cup qualifying tournament in Malaysia.

On recent showing, Mike Hendrick's team can be confident of overcoming the USA and finishing behind Kenya to qualify for ICC Trophy quarter finals from an opening group that also includes Singapore, Gibraltar and Israel.

Holland have announced that they will host the next European Championship at The Hague in 1998. They may well do so as defending champions after seeing off Israel by 182 runs at Glostrup yesterday with a ruthlessness that looks irresistible at this level.