A win for Ireland! MCC played the game hard on the field but made things easy by leaving out Bean (72 & 60) and batting Richardson (117 & 77) at No.10. Bedford returned as captain and M Wilkie (MCC ground staff) replaced Duncan. For Ireland Molins and Neely came in for M Patterson (unavailable) and Armstrong.

The day was cloudy and cool but the pitch stood up well to a third day's play. MCC again won the toss and batted but this time Ireland got on top at the start. 52 for one quickly became 64 for four. A stand of 66 ensued and then the last five wickets went down for 37 in the last nine overs, two for Curry, two for Mooney and a run out.

Jeh and Brogan opened for MCC and Eagleson, to test his fitness, bowled his 10 over stint at the start. Neely shared the bowling and bowled six overs. A great catch at the wicket by Andy Patterson accounted for Jeh (17) at 31 in the ninth over. Patterson dived low to his right and caught one handed. Robinson came in and he, in fact, sustained the innings. Brogan brought 50 up in the 17th over with a four off Eagleson. Two balls later Brogan cut with no foot movement and was caught low down in the gully by Dwyer. Bowett came and went, scoreless, in 11 balls. He gave Eagleson his second wicket in his last over. Bowett hit a long hop to normal square leg where White took a shoulder high catch off a fast travelling ball. 54-3-0.

Grant was next but, at 64, he gave Dwyer his first wicket of the week - lbw. 64-4-2. Now came the Robinson-Townsend stand of 66 in 18 overs. 68 was up at the half way mark. McCallan replaced Eagleson and bowled eight overs for 30. Dwyer was very parsimonious. He bowled his 10 overs for only 13, nine singles and four wides. Curry replaced Dwyer and Mooney came on for McCallan. Robinson did more of the scoring in the partnership and 100 was up in over 35. With three twos in Curry's fourth over (40th) Robinson went from 49 to 55. At that score he was out in the next over and also gave Mooney his first wicket of the week. Robinson drove uppishly to short extra cover where Joyce took a head high catch. 130-5-55.

Curry accounted for Townsend (24) in the next over (42nd). He leaned back to cut but the ball kept coming in and he was caught at the wicket. 132-6-24. There were two new bats now together, De Bruyn and Bedford. The latter held out for 15 but lost De Bruyn at 135, Prince at 150 and Richardson at 165. De Bruyn was bowled having a crude "hoick" at Curry; Mooney bowled Prince swinging wildly; and Richardson was run out in the last over when Patterson slapped down a throw from McCallan, at short extra, on to the stumps.

All six bowlers did well. Eagleson, Neely and Dwyer were outstanding. Curry and Mooney went for four per over but took two wickets each. The fielding was very good. Now the question was could Ireland get 168? Wickets fell at all the wrong times until five were down for 96 in 28 overs. Then Curry and Patterson won the match with a 54 run stand in 11 overs.

Davy was promoted to open with Molins with Curry at number six. This worked fairly well, but the first five all made a start (three 11's, a 13 and a 14) but got no further. Prince and Bowett bowled and they each took a wicket. Molins nibbled Bowett to the wicket-keeper at 20 and Davy walked into a well pitched ball from Prince to be lbw at 37 in the 11th over.

White joined Joyce and De Bruyn and Jeh came on to bowl. 50 was up in over 16 but three overs later Joyce drove at De Bruyn, head up, and was bowled. White followed in the next over (Jeh). He tried to cut, on the back foot, a ball that was too near him and snicked to the wicket-keeper. 64-4-11. McCallan and Curry were now together and had the best stand of the innings so far - 32 in nine overs. Curry did most of the scoring but he lost McCallan at 96. He was lbw half forward to DeBruyn.

In came Patterson and 100 was up in over 29. Surprisingly Richardson, slow left arm, was now given his first bowl of the week. He did very well, bowling seven overs to the end of the innings for 17 runs. The other end, shared by De Bruyn, Prince and Wilkie was expensive. Curry hit two fours in De Bruyn's ninth over and Patterson hooked three fours in a two over spell from Prince which cost 18. Wilkie gave up 10 in his first over but got Patterson, a low catch at cover, in his second. 150-6-26. Patterson hit four fours in his 35 ball innings.

Mooney joined Curry who went to 50 with a four off Wilkie in the 41st over. The end came in the 43rd over. Curry's 57 came off 71 balls with six fours. Jeh, Richardson and Bewett bowled 21 overs for 54 but Prince and De Bruyn were expensive and Wilkie's 3.4 overs cost 24.