As usual in these matches Ireland did well - up to a point! In the 47th over Ireland were 142-3. With one ball remaining they were all out for 186, the highest total achieved in these competitive games. The bowling and fielding were poor and Gloucester won easily in 39.4 overs. Alderman, the Australian Test bowler, took 5-34 and Stovold became the fourth player on this Gloucester team to score a century against Ireland. He batted for 141 minutes, faced 119 balls and struck 14 fours. Ireland replaced Rea by RA McCollum, a stroke playing batsmen.
The weather was sunny and the pitch good when Warke and Cohen set off against Lawrence and Alderman. Warke kept putting his leg into the line of the ball and was LBW to Alderman in the fourth over. 8-1-2. Masood arrived and was at once in top gear striking six fours in his innings of 35.
Curran replaced Alderman for the 10th over. Curran, from Zimbabwe, holds an Irish passport and so is not a specially registered player. Alderman changed to Lawrence's end and Bainbridge replaced Corlett. 50 came up in 19.1 overs and all was going well. In the 21st over Masood hit Alderman back over his head for four. Then two wickets fell in three balls. Masood reached to drive Alderman and Alleyne caught him, jumping at cover. Two balls later Harrison dabbed Alderman to Athey at second slip. 62-3. Lewis joined Cohen and by lunch (taken after 32 overs) they had taken the score to 80, Cohen 26, Lewis 7.
Graveney, slow left-arm, bowled his 12 overs from over 30 to 52 while Curran and Bainbridge shared the other end. 100 was up in 36.2 overs. On went Lewis and Cohen, both batting well if slowly. The first 14 overs after lunch yielded 54 with Cohen quickening and going to 50 in 176 minutes off 150 balls. Bainbridge bowled the 47th over whose first four balls realised eight runs. Then Lewis (28) was bowled trying to turn a straight ball to leg. 80 had come from this pair in 87 minutes and 25 overs.
Lawrence returned for Bainbridge and dismissed Cohen first ball. Cohen was forced onto the back foot and turned square and was palpably LBW for 66 scored in 195 minutes off 172 balls. It was a splendid performance of skill and concentration. This was now the 51st over and the score was 153-5. McCollum and Garth added 22 off 23 balls. Garth looked in good form but was run out with the score at 175. He hit Bainbridge to mid-on and ran. McCollum watched the ball rather than his partner and did not respond. Garth failed to get back. 175-6-8.
Three runs later Bainbridge bowled McCollum (13) with a slower ball which swung in. The last three wickets fell at 184, 185 and 186. Halliday advanced to Alderman and mis-hit to short extra cover. Nelson was foolishly run out attempting to give Jackson a second run and Milling was caught at the wicket to give Alderman 5-34 in 11.5 overs. Jackson was left 6 not out.
Starting at 3:18 PM Gloucester strolled to victory. Tea was taken after 35 overs and by then Ireland had tried six bowlers. In Garth's second over, the 14th, Wright gave Jackson a wide, difficult chance when he was 25 and the score 55. 50 came up in 9.5 overs, 100 in 23.2. Stovold reached 50 in 91 minutes off 75 balls. The only wicket fell at 116 in Harrison's second over, the 28th of the innings. Wright drove to Halliday at wide mid-on. 116-1-55. Wright hit nine fours in a 97 minutes stay.
The score at tea (taken after 35 overs) was 158-1, Stovold 76, Romaines 17. Another 4.4 overs ended the match. 32 more runs were scored and Romaines kept out of the way to allow Stovold reach his century. The latter was awarded the Man-of-the-Match by RT Simpson, the former England batsmen.