For this, the fourth British tour since the first in 1977, there were selection problems! Warke, and the two Dennison brothers were not available at all. Cohen and Masood were only available against Wales and MCC. Anderson and Corlett could play in either the first match or the last two at the selectors' wish. PM O'Reilly was released by Warwickshire for the tour. An 11 was chosen against Gloucester with GA Kirwan (aged 41), a medium paced swing bowler, who had taken a massive number of wickets for Clontarf in recent years, to complete a party of 12. Anderson and Corlett were going home after this match but Masood would be coming in as well as Cohen. Then Johnston got injured and was replaced by JW Kirkwood a young Lisburn player who was already a hockey International. Then Masood refused to fulfil the travel arrangements as laid down so that he might play for his club, Phoenix, on the day before the match against Wales. He was told to stay at home and DA Lewis (son of WI) came instead.
Three warm sunny days greeted Ireland on their first visit to Bristol. The county put out six players who were on their first team, including the captain, DA Graveney. AIB gave £1000 to the ICU towards this match and the local AIB people hosted a lunch on the ground. The pitch was fairly slow. Ireland had a great start. Corlett bowled Bainbridge in his second over with the total on 12. O'Reilly, after a succession of wides, had Cunningham dropped at slip by Wills and then caught by Anderson low at first slip next ball. Wills redeemed himself by catching Romaines at second slip in O'Reilly's next over. 32-3 and Romaines had just made a century against Yorkshire. Wright and the youthful stroke-making Skinner then put on 57 in 66 minutes.
Harrison was tried in place of O'Reilly. However it was the latter's return, with the total on 81, which brought the next wicket. After a series of no-balls Skinner was caught by Jackson diving far to his right. He had made 36 with seven fours. Doughty (1) and Wright (42 in 137 minutes) were together at lunch, at which stage the total was 108-4. Corlett came back with the total on 125 and took two more wickets in his fourth over after lunch. Doughty, who had made 10 in a stand of 50, was caught by Jackson and Rice was deceived by a change of pace and bowled. 139-6. Graveney stopped a total breakthrough and batted very well. He made 54 out of a stand of 80 in 64 minutes. He hit 4-2-4-4 off Monteith to reach 54 and then hoisted a catch, it seemed deliberately, to Corlett at long-on. Wright was now 90 and he went to his century in 247 minutes off 219 deliveries when the score was 235-7. He gave no chance. He then hit two more fours, making 17 in all, before he skied a catch back to Harrison. 244-8. Corlett and Monteith shared the last two wickets and the innings closed at 260 made in 89.4 overs. Corlett bowled 35 of these to take 4-74. O'Reilly had 3-62 in 17 overs. He was very fast but very wild - six wides and six no-balls.
Short and Kirkwood opened with just under two hours left. The left-handed Sainsbury had Short LBW in his first over. The light grew poor and Graveney and Smith were bowling after seven overs. The light was offered to Wills and Kirkwood who were coming off when they were sent back by Monteith. Kirkwood's first five scoring strokes were fours - mostly off Smith. At 47 the medium paced Bainbridge was tried and he bowled Kirkwood (27) with the total on 60. Wills (36) and Anderson (9) played out the day and the close of play score was 83-2 in 39 overs.
Wickets fell regularly on the next morning but the tail wagged and Ireland were only six behind at the end. Doughty took the first three wickets. At 96 Anderson (22) was caught at short leg from one which popped. Prior played carefully. He saw Wills to his 50 but then both were out in successive Doughty overs. Wills went first, at 134, to a good catch at backward cover. Wills hit only two fours in his 62, batted for 153 minutes and faced 158 deliveries. Prior, having initially been dropped, was out hooking, caught at the third attempt. Both he and Wills were caught by a substitute fielder. 135-5.
Harrison was now striking sweetly. Graveney bowled Corlett at 175 but Harrison made 38 in 42 minutes off 53 balls before playing down the wrong line at Sainsbury. Jackson helped Monteith add 34 and then opened up himself. He made 42 in 54 minutes with six fours. At 253 he was bowled sweeping at Graveney. The innings ended 40 minutes after lunch. Of Gloucester's six bowlers all but Cunningham took a wicket.
With almost 3 ½ hours left Gloucester went in again and scored 218-5 off 66 overs. Romaines went in with Bainbridge, both having failed in the first innings. Romaines (2) did so again when Corlett bowled him at 7. Cunningham made only 15 but added 61 with Bainbridge before being caught at slip off Monteith. Bainbridge reached 50 in 102 minutes. He then rapidly increased his pace, mostly at Monteith's expense. He reached 100 only 33 minutes later. He faced 152 deliveries in making 105 with 14 fours, 9 of them in his second 50. At 145 he swept Monteith to deep square leg where Prior made a great running catch. The 77 run stand with Graveney came in 39 minutes.
Wright joined Graveney in a 65 runs stand. Graveney hit Corlett for three successive fours, reached 58 in 91 minutes, then give Prior a return catch in the only over he bowled! Wills caught Wright (23) in the deep off Monteith just before the close which came at 218-5, Skinner 2, Doughty 3.
On the third day Gloucester batted for 52 more minutes (facing 14 overs) and added 51 runs. At 239 Doughty was LBW to Corlett, the only wicket to fall. The Irish fielding was very good with Kirkwood outstanding. Ireland's task on the declaration was to score 276 in 258 minutes +20 overs, a target never before reached to win in an Ireland fourth innings. How near they went!
When the eight wicket fell at 209 all seemed lost. However Monteith played the innings of his life and got his highest score for Ireland. Halliday defended well. After 59 were added and only eight more needed it seemed Ireland must win but was not to be. With 17 overs left Monteith skied once too often and was caught at square leg running back. This was the last ball of the over and the batsmen had crossed. O'Reilly had to face. He completed "a pair" when caught off bat and pad at short leg off Graveney - again on the last ball of the over.
At 12 Kirkwood spooned a catch back to the bowler (Wright). In the last over before lunch Wills was caught at slip off a ball he need not have played. 29-2, Short 17. Gloucester used seven bowlers and switched them around. Ireland produced stands of at least 50 for the third, fifth, seventh and ninth wickets. Short and Anderson began with 52 for the third wicket - then both got out. Anderson (22) hit a full toss back to Graveney. 81-3-22. At 83 Smith bowled Short (36). Prior and Harrison were now together and their stand was 53 before Harrison (26) holed out to Wright at deep mid-on. Two balls later Cunningham caught and bowled Corlett. The total was now 136-6.
When Monteith arrived Prior was 24. Together they began to hit a lot of fours off Cunningham, Smith and even Graveney who returned to bowl until the end. 62 were added in 41 minutes. Then Graveney made a high catch at short mid-wicket look easy to dismiss Prior off Bainbridge. Prior had hit eight fours in his 48 scored in 81 minutes. 11 overs later Graveney bowled Jackson. Now the total was 209-8. 67 were needed when Halliday joined Monteith. Monteith was 49 at this stage. He reached 50 in 55 minutes with nine fours.
In the next 16 overs the pair added 59 off the bowling of Graveney and Doughty with Halliday defending manfully. Monteith hit Graveney for a six and got four more fours. As the target grew nearer the question was would Monteith reach his first century for Ireland before the match was won. Bainbridge replaced Doughty and got Monteith for 91 with only eight more needed. 1051 runs had been scored in a match which seemed lost when the total was 209 for 8, but had seemed won when the total reached 268-8. It was Corlett's 50th cap.