Irish Cricket Archives masthead
Ireland International Matches
MCC lost to Ireland by an innings and 44 runs
2 Day, Lord's, 22 July 1931
Scorecard
Derek Scott

Of the Irish team selected for this match, George McVeagh cried off and was replaced by Ham Lambert, earning his first cap. T. H. Dixon was mainly responsible for this victory, getting eight wickets for 54 and top scoring with the bat. The MCC side included AER Gilligan, the former England captain, RS Collins, a brother of HL Collins, the former Australian captain and Hart the Middlesex professional.

Despite their strength MCC were very soon all out for 112. But for a last wicket stand between Hart and McIver, the total would have looked paltry. Three wickets fell for 20 runs in half an hour. Brooke was splendidly caught at second slip by Heaslip off Dixon before a run was scored. Butterworth was out at four while Ward, Tanner and Gilligan quickly fell to Dixon who bowled his outswingers extremely well. The last pair added 33.

After lunch the MCC total was passed with only three wickets in hand but these last three wickets added 139. First Lambert and Boucher added 49 for the eighth wicket, with the former batting very attractively for an hour on his debut. In the following 50 minutes Boucher and Dixon added a further 90. Boucher got a fine 50 while Dixon's 52 not out was distinguished by two tremendous sixes off Masterman, one of them hitting the pavilion balcony.

On the second day the MCC gave another poor display and were all out in 100 minutes for 90. The Irish fielding was a feature of the game and three superb catches were taken in this innings. Brooke "bagged a pair" when he was brilliantly held by Boucher running from slip to fine-leg in Dixon's first over. At six Collins had his middle stump uprooted by the redoubtable Dixon. At 19 Dixon accounted for Ward. Hart was Dixon's fourth victim. Heaslip made a very good catch to dismiss him. 38-4-10. Gilligan helped Hilder to hoist the 50 but then James Macdonald and Boucher came on and shared the remaining six wickets. At 52 Gilligan fell to a catch at mid-on after making a forceful 24. Tanner and Hilder were both bowled while hitting out, Tanner at 70 and Hilder at 82. The last three wickets gave little trouble. The crowd which watched this game was probably the biggest ever to watch an Irish game at Lord's. The good attendance was kept amused on the second afternoon by a scrap match played at the suggestion of Mr Findlay, Secretary of the MCC. A point of interest was that in this match Brooke got yet another "duck".