On three hot sunny days (although rain caused 20 minute delays on the first and second days) Ireland and Wales fought out a splendid drawn match at a new home venue, Carlisle CC at Kimmage in Dublin. The pitch was very good but the outfield was somewhat bumpy. Ireland outplayed a much changed Welsh side for 2 ½ days.

Then, having set Wales 268 in 173 minutes plus a minimum of 20 overs Ireland always looked like losing. Wales were 233-4, needing another 35 in eight overs, and all seemed lost. Then Puddle, the Welsh captain, was out for 71. Next ball Edwards was run out without facing. Now it was 233-6. Smith was out at 247 with four overs left to get 21. 12 were needed of the last two overs. McCrum's last over conceded only three. With 9 to win, Harrison was bowling and A Williams facing. The first ball had the latter LBW. MH Davies got a single to bring Lloyd to face. He was 50 not out but Harrison prevented a score of the third ball and a single off the fourth took Lloyd away from strike with 7 needed off 2 balls. Davies wound up and hit the fifth ball high to the mid-wicket boundary. Cohen was, foolishly, 15 yards in. He made a valiant effort at a catch but the ball rebounded off his hands for 4. Now 3 were needed. Davies had another "heave" and was bowled so the 21st match between these teams was drawn and prevented Welsh back-to-back wins for the first time since the 1920s.

Lamba (professional) and Johnston, who does not play on Sunday, were left out in favour of Cohen and NE Thompson. The latter refused to travel from Derry by bus so N Nelson, brother of AN, was given a first cap as a medium pace bowler. Only five of the Wales team survived from their 1989 victory at Usk. GP Ellis, their long serving player, did not play. Five were new to the match - G, Wood, MF Kear, A Smith, A Williams and C Williams. The youthful century maker of 1989, Mark Davies, was now contracted to Glamorgan and did not play.

Wales came in on the morning of the match so play did not begin until 12:30 PM. Since taking over as captain Warke won his third successive toss. Cohen hit Edwards' first ball for four and continued in that vein. He hit 6 fours in 29. Then A Williams, coming on with the score at 27, bowled him in his second over at 35. Dunlop came in but was not in good form. C Williams changed ends but 50 was up in the 20th over. Rea was playing well but was caught at the wicket at 70. At lunch (after 35 overs) it was 80-2, Dunlop 15, Warke 5. With no runs added after lunch Dunlop's attempt at a hook of C Williams only helped the ball to the wicket-keeper. This was the last Welsh success until 6 PM and, indeed, only one more Irish wicket fell.

Between lunch and tea, 21 minutes were lost to rain early on. But in the 100 minutes play which was possible 106 runs were scored in 33 overs, 62 of them to Lewis and 38 to Warke. The spinners Smith, slow left arm, and Lloyd, offspin, tossed the ball up but Lewis scored with great freedom getting 10 fours in his 50 in 78 minutes. 100 was up in 44 overs, 150 in 13.3 overs more. In 28 minutes after tea 53 more runs came in less than nine overs. The spinners were now bowling flatter. Warke went to 50 in 131 minutes but was out for 65 with the score on 239 when he pushed Lloyd to point. He hit nine fours and the 159 stand came in exactly 2 hours and was the highest for any wicket against Wales.

Lewis was now 93. With Smyth in he went to his century, his first for Ireland, in 133 minutes off 128 balls with 16 fours. 60 more were added in 36 minutes before the declaration. Lewis carved out 6 more fours and 20 of his 22 fours were all along the ground. It was a cool and controlled innings full of drives and cuts. It occupied 157 minutes and 153 balls and was the highest against Wales for Ireland. His 22 fours have only been bettered by Sir TC O'Brien and IJ Anderson in much higher innings. Smyth made 15 not out. The declaration allowed 13 overs from four bowlers but A Harris (12) and TC Hughes together got 26 without loss.

Day two, a long one of seven hours, was also Ireland's. The lead by the end of play for the day was 227 with six wickets remaining. Wales were bowled out for 202 by 4 p.m. so the first innings lead was 97. It might have been more. At 96-6 Wales faced a possible follow-on. Then Ireland fell into a recent habit of being unable to finish an innings off. The star bowler was AR Dunlop. He bowled his off spinners with a good loop and took 5-26 in 19.4 overs. This was his third match for Ireland but the first time he had bowled. In 1961 against MCC G Lyness had taken 6 wickets in the second innings of his first match and in 1952 also against MCC CJM Kenny took five wickets in the first innings of his debut match. Furthermore Dunlop had scored 69 in his debut innings the MCC. Only C Lawrence in 1856 in Ireland's second ever match a such a batting and bowling debut.

Ireland set attacking fields from the start with sometimes only two players in front of the wicket. A Nelson and McCrum each got a wicket early on. Nelson's was in the first over of the day when Hughes was caught at gully. 26-1-10. Three overs later Harrison was caught by Jackson. 30-2-16. Harris had been unable to get his bat out of the way. At 41, a similar fate befell Kear also off McCrum. Wood and Puddle saw 50 up in the 23rd over. Dunlop was given his first bowl in the 31st over. Wood mis-swept his second ball to backward short leg. 74-4-41.

Puddle and Lloyd were a dangerous and experienced pair. They had put on 22 when Lewis came on as the sixth bowler tried. The last ball of his over shattered Puddles stumps. 96-5-32. 10 minutes later, with no further runs scored, Dunlop caught and bowled Lloyd. Edwards and Smith now came together in an 82 run partnership in 90 minutes which straddled lunch. 100 came up in 41.5 overs. At 113 Edwards gave McCrum a hard chance at second slip off Lewis. A Nelson and McCrum were brought back but the lunch score was 134-6 in 50 overs, Edwards 22, Smith 15.

150 was up in 52.3 overs and now the bowling mostly remained with offspinners, Harrison and Dunlop. Edwards went to his 50 and then hit a full toss from Dunlop to N Nelson at deep square leg. He batted 100 minutes with 9 fours. 178-7-51. In his next over Dunlop had Davies LBW. 178-8-0. Smith and A Williams added another 20. Then N Nelson came on. He had bowled 5 overs in two spells. With the second ball of his sixth (and last) over he bowled Smith to take his first international wicket. Next over Dunlop had A Williams caught in the deep. During the Edwards/Smith stand there had been a 22 minute break for rain in the afternoon session. This was a shower in an otherwise warm and sunny day.

Tea was taken between innings. In the remaining session Wales bowled 45 overs in which Ireland scored 130-4. The start was slow. A Williams, and not Edwards, shared the new ball with C Williams. It was Edwards coming on as first change who took the first wicket after 47 were put on in 70 minutes. He bowled Cohen for 25. In fact three wickets fell in eight overs for eight runs. Rea was caught at mid-wicket, by Edwards, off off-spinner Lloyd for 22 with the total on 49. Warke was caught at the wicket off Edwards. 55-3-8. Dunlop and Lewis allowed no further lapses and added 70 in 57 minutes. 46 of these came from Lewis who hit 8 fours and faced only 62 balls. When he had scored 16 Lewis became the 26th batsmen to score 1000 runs for Ireland. Just before the close Lewis was LBW to C Williams. 125-4-46. Smyth (1) and Dunlop (22) were together at close of play.

The third day was again fine. Play began at 10:30 AM with 290 minutes to play. Ireland batted for 26 minutes and six overs were bowled. 40 runs were added, 22 Dunlop and 19 to Smyth. 5 fours were struck. Then the declaration came at 11AM and at 11:07 AM Harris and Hughes set out to get 268 to win. If successful this would be the highest fourth innings total to win against Ireland. The opening pair put on 47 in an hour. N Nelson, first change, had Harris out in his second over spooning to mid-off. 47-1-19. Wood joined Hughes in a run-a-minute stand of 43. Harrison came on at 82, the fifth bowler tried. In his second over, 10 minutes before lunch, he had Hughes caught at silly point for a well made 51 in 103 minutes. At lunch (taken after 31 overs) Wales were 91-2, Wood 17 Kear 0. They were well on target to win.

This pair took the score to 119. Then Harrison got both within five runs. Wood was LBW for 37 and Kear (8 in 47 minutes) caught at silly mid-off. 144 were now needed in 40 minutes plus a minimum 20 overs. Now came Puddle and Lloyd. Their stand was 109 in only 85 minutes and tilted the balance totally to Wales. Dunlop could not recapture his first innings form but Harrison was persisted with - with one short gap. When the final 20 overs began Wales needed 109 to win. The pace increased. Puddle went to 50 in 82 minutes. When 44, and the total 191, he gave a difficult chance to N Nelson at wide long-off. Then, at 233, two wickets fell, when all seemed lost for Ireland. 47 had been required in 10 overs.

Then, in the 11th over of the last 20, Harrison caught and bowled Puddle with his last ball. Harrison had conceded 42 runs in five overs but Warke kept him on in the hope of taking wickets. He did so! Puddle's 71 came in 100 minutes and almost won the match. McCrum bowled the next ball to Lloyd who turned it to Smyth at square leg. Edwards ran, foolishly, and could not beat the throw to McCrum once sent back. Lloyd and Smith added 14. Then Harrison caught and bowled Smith. Then followed the exciting finish as described earlier. Harrison's 7-91 in 21 overs was his best return for Ireland. Overall a draw was probably a fair result.