Britain and Ireland hold two point lead

Britain and Ireland had the better of things for the second day running and now lead Continental Europe 6-4 at the Vivendi Trophy in Paris, but Irish pairing of Graeme McDowell slipped to a 3&1 defeat to Anders Hansen and Francesco Molinari.

Paul McGinley's side, made underdogs before the start because six top players dropped out, are heading for a fifth successive victory in what used to be called the Seve Trophy.

Simon Dyson and Oliver Wilson had their second win - and fourth in five games since first being paired together two years ago - when they beat Henrik Stenson and Alvaro Quiros 2&1.

It was brilliant stuff from all four players. A birdie two on the last would have given the English pair a 12-under-par 59 and their opponents were nine under when it finished.

On Wednesday morning, Dyson was even a doubt for the match after contracting food poisoning
but he has been one of the stars of the show so far.

Chris Wood and Anthony Wall, both of whom were drafted in because of the withdrawals, are also unbeaten, this time overcoming Miguel Angel Jimenez and Soren Kjeldsen 3&2.

That lacked the fireworks of their first-day drubbing of Stenson and Robert Karlsson but Wall sealed the win with a long bunker shot Nick Dougherty described as "unbelievable".

By then Dougherty and Ross Fisher had hit back from their first-day loss to beat Soren Hansen and Peter Hanson 3&2.

That match was closed out in style as well when Fisher curled in a 25-footer for an eagle on the 541-yard 16th to move them to nine under.

Dougherty commented: 'I've not played very well so far but Ross played some great stuff today and I chipped in here and there.'

That was literally the case on the short 12th, an important shot from just off the green that took them two up.

McDowell and McIlroy might be a Ryder Cup partnership next October - they certainly hope so - were behind from the moment McDowell missed from eight feet at the first and Italian Molinari holed from seven.

Still one down after 10, the duo then almost criminally bogeyed the next two holes - there were only three others all day.

Their failure to retrieve the situation made it 5-3 and, with Wall and Wood getting the next point, there was a good chance the overall match position would be even healthier for Britain and
Ireland overnight.

Steve Webster and Robert Rock were all square with Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano and Karlsson on the final tee but both found sand and could not get up and down.

In terms of points at stake, the contest is not yet at the halfway stage.

Like the Ryder Cup, 28 are to play for in all. Saturday sees four greensomes and four foursomes and Sunday brings 10 singles.