Ireland dropped Linehan both from the captaincy and the team. O'Riordan took over for no less than his fourth spell of captaincy. Goodwin was also left out. Since 1965 he had played 43 times and had taken 115 wickets. He had captained the team from 1969 to 1972. J Harrison and Monteith returned. Scotland were without their two opening bowlers, Thompson and Robertson (injured) they included one new cap (RS Weir) and three others who had not played against Ireland previously, RG Rodger, DER Stewart and HGF Johnston. At the last minute both sides made changes at opening batsman. DR Pigot returned for MS Reith (who was injured in the Northern Cup final). For Scotland AM Zuill came in for DBS Brown.
Heavy rain on Friday made the pitch wet and slow. Play, surprisingly, began on time. The Scottish bowling was poor but they bowled their overs very quickly, getting through 102 by 5 45 PM. At this point Ireland, who had won the toss and decided to bat, declared at 261-4. Rhind and Clark began to Pigot and Short. By lunch no wicket had fallen and the total was on 82, Pigot 25, Short 57. Short had much more of the bowling and played well. He might have been run out when 12 and Pigot had two narrow escapes from playing on. Clark was accurate and conceded 21 in 11 overs. Peden, another seamer, was tried as was Rodger, slow left arm.
After lunch Short became becalmed but faced only 41 balls in an hour and scored 12 runs. Pigot was fast catching up with him when he played a bad shot to a bad ball from Clark and was caught and bowled. 102-1-40. It was the first century stand since Reith and Pigot got 133 against Scotland at Perth in 1970. Just before getting out Pigot hit Rhind for 11 in an over and was dropped at gully by Goddard. Harrison came in and saw Short (61) dropped by the wicket keeper More off Goddard. Harrison got a lot of strike and set about the bowling. The pair added 72 in 91 minutes of which Harrison made 41. He hit Goddard for one towering six over long-on into Mount Pleasant Avenue. Johnston, another slow left armer and better looking as a bowler than Rodger, was tried. 10 minutes before tea he had Harrison very well caught by Goddard at deep mid off. The score at tea was 172-2, Short 94 and Anderson yet to score. Short had added 37 in 125 minutes since lunch but had less than half of the bowling. Scotland had by now bowled 78 overs. This was a very high rate and it prevented the cricket from being in any way dull.
In the remaining 71 minutes of the innings Ireland scored another 89 runs. In the eighth over after tea Short hit Rodger for four to complete exactly 100 out of 193. He was in for 264 minutes, faced 258 balls and hit eight fours. It was a good watchful innings only marred by a lack of acceleration after lunch. It was the first century for Ireland against Scotland since SF Bergin scored 125 at Cork in 1961. Short and Anderson saw 200 up in 266 minutes in the 88th over. They added in all 41 (of which Anderson made 15). Clark came back and bowled Short for 114. He swung wildly with his head in the air. He batted 282 minutes and faced 274 balls. In the next 34 minutes Anderson and O'Riordan added 46. The new ball had been taken three overs before Short's dismissal. Anderson moved into top gear and hit three fours and then a six off Rhind. Next ball he was caught and bowled by Rhind off a full toss for 40. When 12 he had been dropped by Goddard at deep square leg off Rhind. Ireland declared at 261-4. Clark emerged as the best bowler with 2-66 off 31 overs. The interval between innings was slightly delayed because the heavy roller ordered by Scotland could not be started. Following a light rolling Scotland lost three wickets for 13 in half an hour.
More and Zuill opened to Corlett and Torrens. All went well until Zuill was caught by Colhoun in Corletts third over. Off the first ball of Torrens next over More lobbed a catch to Corlett at gully off the top of his bat. Rodger, as nightwatchman, joined Racionzer. The former was out to the first ball of Torrens fourth over, well caught by Halliday at second slip. At this point play ended with Scotland 13-3, and Racionzer yet to score.
Next morning the wicket was drying and Scotland really had little hope. Corlett and Torrens made further inroads and Halliday and Monteith finished off the innings by 1:14 PM. At 24 Racionzer was caught at the wicket off Torrens and at 29 Weir suffered a similar fate off Corlett. Stewart and Peden added 23, the best stand of the innings. At 52 a good diving catch by Short at leg slip off Torrens removed Peden. Monteith came on for Corlett at 52 and Halliday for a tiring Torrens at 66. At 70 Halliday, spinning the ball a lot, took two wickets in successive overs. He bowled Johnston for 12 and had Goddard caught by O'Riordan diving at backward short-leg. The last two wickets fell at 82. Clark was out to a good diving catch by Pigot at forward short leg off Halliday and the patient Stewart (24 in 89 minutes) was caught by Halliday in the crook of his arm at mid off off Monteith. 38.5 overs had been bowled. In his six overs Halliday had 3-14. Torrens in 13 overs had 4-44.
The heavy roller had been put on before play and was now used again. To no avail to Zuill who was out to the first ball bowled by Torrens, well caught two-handed over his head by O'Brien at first slip. Lunch was taken after two overs with Scotland 7-1 in their follow-on. More was four and Racionzer two. In 8 minutes after lunch 19 were scored, including four fours. Then Racionzer mishit a drive which went high in the air to the bowler, Corlett. 26-2-11. Two overs later from Corlett Weir (0) was caught by O'Riordan falling forward at second slip. More and Stewart now added 30. Halliday and Monteith came on and bowled unchanged to attacking fielders to the end of the innings. Maurice Whelan, Captain of Railway Union second Eleven, came on to field for J Harrison (muscle strain). He fielded brilliantly and took two catches. Stewart hit Torrens for three fours in his last over. Halliday, in his third over, took the next wicket. Stewart checked his drive and was called low by Whelan coming in at mid-on. 62-4-19. More was out immediately after drinks break, Whelan taking an easy catch at extra-cover off Monteith. 68-5-29. At 79 Monteith had Peden LBW on the front foot. Just before this O'Brien dropped Johnston at slip off Halliday. At 95 O'Brien made amends to Halliday and caught Johnston at slip. Next over, 99, O'Brien repeated the feat (a good catch) to dismiss Goddard off Monteith. Rodger and Clark added 19 of which Rodger made none! Monteith then bowled him. Rhind and Clark provided some entertainment in adding 20 for the last wicket. Both hit a six and Monteith was hit for 13 by Clark in one over. Then O'Riordan jumped to his right at square leg to catch Clark off Halliday and end the frivolity. Clark had made 29 and joined More as joint top scorer for Scotland in the match. Monteith in 13 overs had 4-41, Halliday 3-29 in 15 overs. The innings lasted 42 overs. Scotland were unlucky to lose the toss and then be caught on a drying wicket. Ireland played very well and the catching was very good, 17 wickets in all falling to catches. Scotland had one of their weakest teams for quite some time. Colhoun completed 150 victims as wicketkeeper when he caught Racionzer in Scotland's first innings.
On the scheduled third day of the match a 50 overs a side match was played, no bowler to bowl more than 10 overs. I Johnston came in for O'Brien for Ireland and D Bell, the rugby international, replaced Zuill for Scotland. Ireland made 134 all out in 49.4 overs (Anderson 64). Scotland were out for 74 in 38.4 overs. DER Stewart made 29 and Torrens took 5-11.
There had already been a 50 over match scheduled to be played at College Park on the Tuesday. For this Ireland replaced Pigot, Torrens, Anderson, Colhoun and Halliday with O'Brien, WI Lewis, TA Parker, DE Goodwin and E Bushe. T Harpur was to have played but could not. Zuill returned for Scotland in place of Weir. Scotland scored 157-5, with Racionzer making 70. Monteith, in error, was allowed to bowl 11 overs by the umpires. In reply Ireland reached 61-1 but eventually finished up at 150-8. Very small crowds attended on all four days.