On this most beautiful ground Ireland suffered a third defeat in four days. Consolations were scoring 234 having been sent in and JD Curry's first century in his 46th innings and, when 25, getting to 1000 runs. Allied Irish Bank sponsored the match and gave lunch to both teams and numerous guests in their marquee as well as giving a Man-of-the-Match Award (decided by the Umpires) to Curry. Eagleson and Mooney were said to be unfit. M Patterson was now available again and came in with Armstrong.
Unfortunately for Ireland Mark Richardson followed the Irish team down from Shenley. The New Zealand Cricketer of the Year in the 2000/2001 season made another century and totalled exactly 300 runs in the four matches -v-Ireland. De Bruyn also came from the MCC matches to play in this one. DM Ward, ex Surrey, played a star role. He got 73 in 79 balls with 10 boundaries. In a 128 stand with Richardson he outscored the New Zealander by 73 runs to 46.
Ireland had a shocking start losing three wickets when the score was nine. B Kotze, fast medium, took all three in four balls spread over two overs - his second and third. Molins hung out his bat and was caught at second slip and both Joyce and White "shouldered arms" and were bowled on successive balls - a very unusual double for a bowler. Davy, who opened, and McCallan now retrieved the situation rather slowly. B Kotze came off with three for 15 in four overs while Dawes bowled his seven opening overs for seven runs. In 10 overs the score was 26 and in 20 overs 58 was up.
Meanwhile B Kotze broke his arm in a fall in the outfield and was replaced by Eagleson as Arundel had no 12th man. De Bruyn was tried as was Oldroyd, slow left arm, and Sedburgh with leg breaks. 62 were put on when a run out ended the stand. Davy hit Sedburgh to long leg. De Bruyn dropped the catch. McCallan went for a second run which Davy refused and the former was run out. 71-4-32. Davy (18 off 79 balls) fell to Oldroyd in the next over. 71-5-18. Curry, more comfortable down the order, was joined by Andy Patterson for the best stand of the innings - 99 off 18 overs.
Curry started with three singles and then played a maiden from Oldroyd. He soon loosened up and hit Sedburgh for a six. Patterson, too, began to hit out and 100 was up in over 33. Kotze and De Bruyn reappeared but Patterson hooked splendidly, a six to long leg off De Bruyn being outstanding. However, in the next over, the 43rd, he skied Kotze and was caught at square leg. 170-6-37. Curry had reached 50 from 47 balls in the 41st over and the rest of the innings belonged to him. He put on 60 with Armstrong of which Curry scored 41. A no ball from Wills was hit for six and a few overs later he hit Sedburgh for two successive sixes - one over the sight screen. 200 came up in over 47, the second 100 coming in 13 overs.
Curry hit 11 in the 49th over to go to 99 and was given a stumping life. The last over was bowled by the opening bowler Dawes. Armstrong got away on the first ball by running on a wide. Curry blocked the second and a single on the third brought up his century. Very unselfishly he tried to regain the strike to face the last ball but was run out. In fact he need not have done so as Mark Patterson hit the last ball for four to mid-wicket.
Curry faced only 72 balls and batting 111 minutes was in for 26 overs. He hit five sixes and six fours an unusual imbalance between these two boundary strokes. Seven wickets fell, two to run outs. Of the remaining five Kotze took four for 45 bowling at a brisk pace.
Not alone did Ireland not defend 234 but they lost by eight wickets. Armstrong, in his second match, took both of them, they being his first wickets for Ireland. All three of Arundel's stands were substantial. Richardson was involved in all three and was 102 not out at the end. His opening stand with Lynch was 54 runs in 14 overs. The second stand with Ward was 128 in 23 overs (Ward's share was 73) and finally an unbroken stand of 53 in just over eight overs with De Bruyn. There were 25 balls left at the end. Ireland used no less than eight bowlers but McCallan only bowled three, White and Curry two each and Joyce bowled his first and, so far, only over for Ireland.
Mark Patterson and Neely started and did well. In 13 overs between them they gave away 49 runs and, with extras, the score was 52. The first change brought an immediate wicket. Armstrong replaced Neely and Lynch was caught at mid-wicket off his fifth ball. 54-1-18. Ward came in and was dropped by Andy Patterson in Armstrong's third over. This was an expensive miss. Ward. was 11 and the score was 69. Ward went on to make 73 and the score had risen to 182 before the wicket fell.
100 was up in over 26 and Richardson reached his 50 in over 27. Ward now opened up and in a seven over spell he hit two sixes, in successive balls off White, and five fours. He reached 50 and overtook Richardson in over 32 which also brought up 150. McCallan bowled three overs for 19 and White two for 23. Meanwhile, Dwyer, who started at over 15, bowled his ten overs for 33 and amidst all the hitting, gave away only one four. Armstrong came back and in his third over, the 38th, he got Ward who skied to extra cover. His 73 came in 79 balls with two sixes and eight fours.
De Bruyn came in and the win was achieved in eight further overs. Armstrong came off (?) and the last overs were shared by Mark Patterson, Curry, Joyce and Neely. 200 was up in over 41 and Richardson went to 100 in over 42. The match ended in over 46.
Richardson made his second century of the week and throughout the innings there was always a left hander and a right hander in partnership. Richardson faced 123 balls and hit 10 fours.
Patterson, Neely and Armstrong all gave up over 40 runs in their overs but Dwyer's 33 in 10 overs was the most economical.