For this match O'Riordan was not available, business forced him to return to Ireland after the MCC game and Torrens replaced him.

This was a fine game of cricket played on a lovely wicket in a beautiful setting on two sunny days. It would have been an excellent three-day match because both teams batted a lot better than they bowled. It was the first time Ireland had played Combined Services away since the match in 1893 at Portsmouth. There had been a match in 1962 in Belfast. The Irish survivors from that game were Duffy, Martin and Colhoun and only Baskervyle-Glegg had played there for the Services. Ivan Anderson was the Irish star, scoring 110 not out and 75 at a rate of one run per minute - heady stuff!

On the perfect wicket and fast outfield both teams sparred at each other in the first innings. Willson and Glegg put up 40 in 44 minutes for Combined Services and Willson gave O'Brien a chance at deep fine leg off Torrens when he was seven. Eventually Glegg, very much out of touch, was caught at the wicket off Leng. A few minutes later Willson was the victim of a doubtful LBW decision off Leng. 47-2-32. Monteith came on after an hour and bowled 22 overs in a row. Hunter now left the field with an injured hand and A Naughton, 12th man, came on with Martin acting as captain. The tall, dark skinned Rudolph played elegantly and hit Monteith for a straight six. At 51 Robinson, 2, was given out LBW but he was recalled because the ball clearly hit his bat. At 68 Rudolph gave Leng a low difficult caught and bowled chance which was not held. Duffy was tried for Leng at 70 but it was Monteith who bowled Robinson, off stump, while playing to leg. 70-3-13. A moment later if O'Brien at cover had thrown to the bowler instead of the wicket-keeper Rudolph might have been run out. At lunch, after 120 minutes, the score was 108-3, Rudolph 33, Williams 20.

Soon after lunch Williams departed, LBW to Leng. He was very far up the wicket and was struck high. 115-4-13. Rudolph then went to his 50 in 100 minutes. Newsom offered Monteith a difficult caught and bowled chance and Rudolph gave Leng a wide chance at slip also off Monteith. Next ball the same thing happened and Leng took a right-handed catch. 156-5-59. Dover was soon caught behind off Torrens. Now Newsom and Curtis were swinging with a declaration in view. Curtis put Monteith over long-on for six and then, at 190, Torrens bowled Newsom for 40, scored in 70 minutes. Leng conceded nine in one over and 3:38 pm the declaration came with the score at 201-7. Leng and Monteith had done well in view of the perfect wicket.

McCall and Pigot opened to Gibson and Healey. In Gibson's second over McCall played forward and was bowled round his legs. 0-1-0. Pigot had a lucky four between the wicket-keeper and slip off Healey and at tea, after 40 minutes, Ireland were 24-1, Pigot 14 Martin 6. The offspinner Dover now replaced Healey and, at 36, Pigot spooned him to cover. 36-2-19. Anderson now arrived at 5:10 pm and, by 7 pm, he was 91 not out. 50 came up after 72 minutes. Anderson suddenly came to life with three fours. Curtis, slow left arm, replaced Gibson with the total on 60. At 66 Anderson drove Dover to deepish mid-off where a difficult catch was dropped. Anderson was then 19.

In the hour after tea 55 were scored but a moment later Martin was LBW to Curtis, on the front foot. 80-3-24. At 81 Dover bowled Hunter who played forward down the wrong line. This, in fact, was the last Irish wicket to fall. O'Brien came in at 5:57 pm and rightly concentrated on defence, with four out for 81. At 92 Willson, medium left arm, replaced Dover and got hit for 13 in one over, all to leg. 100 went up and Anderson reached 53 in 62 minutes. At 6:30 pm the stand reached 50 in only 33 minutes of which O'Brien made only five. Nothing could now stop Anderson who was in full spate and was using his feet delightfully. In 63 minutes to close of play the stand reached 77 of which O'Brien made 15. At the close Anderson was 91 not out, scoring only three in the last 10 minutes.

Next day Dover and Curtis bowled to an attacking field obviously to allow Ireland to come up level and declare as quickly as possible. Anderson and O'Brien obliged and scored 43 in 15 minutes off 41 balls. Of these O'Brien made 23 to Anderson's 19. O'Brien hit three fours off Curtis and Anderson two off Dover. An overthrow gave Anderson his century in 119 minutes with 17 fours. It was the first for Ireland since SF Bergin's in Cork in 1961 and the fastest since EDR Shearer scored one in 80 minutes against Sir Julian Cahn's XI at Nottingham in 1937. Anderson now hit a 6 to mid-wicket off Curtis and was then dropped by Robinson at deep square leg when 106. The unfinished stand of 120 was only seven short of the record created in 1921 by RH Lambert and J WF Crawfurd.

The declaration came when the scores were level and, in Services second innings, TF McIntyre, who had been number nine in the first innings, opened with Willson. Leng and Torrens had no effect and after four overs Monteith replaced Torrens. This time Monteith bowled 24 successive overs. At 39 he had McIntyre LBW. Anderson's off-spinners had an airing but he conceded 17 in three overs and Torrens came back. Monteith was bowling a little wide but 47 were up in an hour. Rudolph was not in yesterday's form and he got impatient and was bowled swinging at Torrens. 82-2-22. At 86 Leng dropped Willson at slip off Monteith when Willson was 40. Robinson swung at Monteith and was bowled and lunch was taken. The score was 92-3 and Willson was 44, after 95 minutes.

The left-handed Dover now batted well. Willson snicked an unaccepted chance to Colhoun off Monteith but he was out just after completing 50 in 105 minutes. He hooked Monteith to deep square leg where Pigot took a good catch on the boundary. 108-4-50. Williams came in intent on fast scoring. He pulled, cut and pulled Monteith for three successive fours. In two hours 131 had been made. The Torrens hurt himself and Leng came on but Dover and Williams added 62 in 49 minutes before Williams was LBW to Leng. 170-5-35. As 174 Dover was caught at long on by Martin off Monteith for 38. At 180 McCall dropped Curtis at slip off Leng but he was caught by Anderson at short third man at 181 off Monteith. Nine runs later the declaration came at 190-7. These runs were made in just over three hours and left Ireland to make 191 in 140 minutes. This was a rate which was higher than any scoring rate in the match but nevertheless fail because Combined Services chance of winning was remote. Monteith had his best bowling performance for Ireland taking 4-69 in 24 successive overs.

It had been agreed that tea would be taken at 4:15 pm regardless of regulations. In 25 minutes Ireland scored 25. Pigot had two escapes before scoring. He gave a sharp chance to short square leg off Healey and then Gibson, the bowler, missed a run out by a bad throw to the wicket-keeper. A few minutes were lost by a late start after tea. Eight were scored in 15 minutes and 12 in 20 minutes when McCall was bowled by Healey. 37-1-16. Pigot was now 17 and Anderson came in at number three. At 5:10 pm after one hour 48 had been scored against required rate of 80. Only 23 had been made in about 33 minutes since tea of which Pigot had made only nine. At 48 Curtis replaced Gibson. By 5:20 pm the score was 64-1 and the rate rising but Pigot had still only made 14 in 45 minutes since tea.

Suddenly Anderson lofted Curtis and was caught by Rudolph some 3 yards inside the boundary behind the bowler. Then, for no reason, Rudolph took three steps back and went over the boundary. Under the new regulations this was six. The score was now 72 and Anderson was 25. To celebrate his let-off, Anderson hit the next three balls for 2-4-4 and, indeed, scored 50 in the next 30 minutes. At 5:35 pm there had been an hour's play since tea. The score was now 88-1, Anderson 41, Pigot 26 of which only 15 had been made since tea. 103 were now needed in 55 minutes.

Dover came on for Healey. 100 went up at 5:40 pm. Newsom was given an over instead of Curtis and 12 runs came off it. Anderson reached 52 out of 106 in 47 minutes. He was now going at full steam. He crashed Dover off the sightscreen. At 5:50 pm the score was 123-1, Anderson 66, Pigot 36. Gibson came back and Anderson hit him for two fours. Healey returned in the hope that the faster bowlers could stem the pace. Gibson succeeded at 6 pm by bowling Anderson off stump as he tried to slash. The score was 136 and Pigot was 39. Now 55 were needed in 30 minutes. Anderson's 75 were scored in 63 minutes with two sixes and 11 fours. He became the second player to score a century and a 50 in the same match - EDR Shearer being the other. The next over, bowled by Healey, was a positive pantomime and ended Ireland's hopes. Pigot hit the first ball to leg and was run out at the bowler's end on the third run by a great throw from Newsom on the boundary to Healey. 140-3-42. Monteith was run out next ball. Hunter hit it to Gibson at mid-on, Monteith charged, and Gibson lobbed the ball on to the bowlers wicket. 140-4-0. Hunter swung wildly as Healey's next ball and was bowled. 140-5-0. It was 6:08 pm when O'Brien was joined by Martin and 51 were required in 22 minutes. The chase was called off. Dover and Curtis returned and O'Brien could not resist a slam at Curtis and was caught by Healey at long off. Then Martin and Duffy played out the remaining few minutes. The final score was 159-6.

Could Ireland have won? Perhaps, but only if Anderson could have seen the job through to the end. Pigot scored 42 in 113 minutes and was never scoring fast enough to give Anderson proper support. Pigot was not timing his favourite cut very well and he was reluctant to employ "the charge" when the slow bowlers were on. It was certainly "Anderson's match". He hit the ball into all parts but the drive in the arc from mid on to extra cover and the pull were his best shots. His footwork and fitness between the wickets were the hallmarks of his play.

Only aged 29 this was WR Hunter's last match for Ireland. He started in 1957 aged 19 and in 28 matches scored 800 runs at an average of 21.05 and took 33 wickets at 29.96. He was captain in his last match. An Irish international rugby player he got 10 caps (never on the winning team!) and toured with the British and Irish Lions in 1962