Irish cricket sank to a very low level in the two-day fixture that was all over in one day - 12th July in Belfast. A record crowd of 4000 saw Athol Rowan take 12-24 bringing his bag of Irish wickets to 21 for 63. In 80 minutes the Irish first innings was concluded for 32. Rowan's figures were 10-4-10-7.

To dismiss the strong South African side for 218 was a good feat. D Dyer and G Fullerton put on 59 for the first wicket, but steady bowling by Boucher, Ingram Bowden and Hill saw nine wickets down for 142. Bruce Mitchell came in last and he and Ian Smith put on 76. Smith, a leg-break bowler, used the long handle and cross bat swipes to amass a hurricane 64 not out, which surprised everybody including himself. Mitchell, on the other hand, delighted the crowd with graceful and polished strokes all round the wicket.

Then came the second disaster and in one hour and 50 minutes Ireland were shot out again for 61. Rowan's figures this time were 19-10-14-5. Boucher and Ingram put on 25 the seventh wicket - Ingram getting 14, the only double-figure score in the innings, just as Pollock's 10 had been the only double-figure score in the first innings