As a way of comparing what Irish international cricket was like 40 years ago with today, it is revealing to analyse the five matches played in the summer of 1977. There were actually six but younger Irish cricket enthusiasts might find it extraordinary that a 50 over game at the Oval against a virtually full strength Surrey XI did not merit a cap. It wasn't real cricket you see. Also probably surprising to observers now, but not then, that in all, there were 13 days of international cricket and that was more than normal. As Irish teams were selected from the best of the amateur weekend cricketers in the country it frequently meant that some were unavailable due to work. Thus one finds that one of the best bowlers since 1855, Dermot Monteith, could only turn up after the first match of the tour (3 days v Wales at Swansea).

The five games, apart from the Welsh one, were memorable, but not always for the right reason. Against Scotland, at Clontarf, we needed 114 to win with plenty of time and we were all out for 39. Ossie Colhoun, a legend amongst Irish keepers and a dour, defensive, number 11 decided to charge the bowler, not once, but twice. He and John Elder were apparently having little difficulty in playing out for a draw when he had what modern scribes would describe as a brain fart. That was the memorable for the wrong reason part of the summer.

Two days versus the Australian tourists in Rathmines was indeed memorable. This was a full strength Australian team and Ireland managed a commendable draw. Monteith took 6 wickets in the first innings and Jack Short made 80 despite Lenny Pascoe threatening to ' Knock your f*****g head off' after Jack pulled him for 4.

The other 3 'cap' matches were on tour in England. This tour happened every second year and was always memorable, especially as it always included a 2 day match against the MCC at Lords. As mentioned above, the three day match in Swansea was a miserable affair with the Welsh batting at snail's pace throughout. Having said that we didn't make much of an effort to chase 159 in the last innings in 100 minutes plus 20 overs. We got to 108 for 5! Maybe there was a memory of being bowled out for 39 by Scotland. This is a good example of how cricket has changed in 40 years. At the end of the game I was beside Alec O'Riordan, the skipper, when he shook hands with Jim Presdee, the Welsh captain, who had batted 8 and not bowled. He said 'Thanks for the game Jim, what do you do on this team?'

The real purpose of writing this piece is to describe the next game, against Sussex, which started the next morning after a lengthy bus journey from Swansea. This proved to be one of greatest achievements in Irish cricket history. The game was played at Pagham, a seaside village and was Imran Khan's first game for Sussex. Derek Scott has written a comprehensive account of the game in the archives. I will look at it from a player's perspective, on the inside, so to speak. If you want all the stats, look at the archives!

Tony Greig was playing a test match but the side selected by Sussex was good, having probably eight of their first choice professionals. Apart from Imran they had as captain Peter Graves, along with John Barclay (Trout, due to one of his middle names Troutbeck ), Paul Parker who played in one test match, Gehan Mendis, a Sri Lankan batsman before Sri Lanka became a test playing nation, Ian Greig (Tony's brother), Paul Phillipson,a seamer, Chris Waller and Giles Cheatle, who were both slow left armers. Cheatle had just taken 5 for 9 against Warwickshire. Only Tim Head, the wicket keeper who was on the Cambridge University side that year, and Stephen Still, a medium pacer, were not regular first team choices.

Sussex won the toss, batted and made 260 in 79 overs, which was slow, considering Imran thrashed 101 of them in 82 minutes. I rescued a tile from the roof of The Lion pub across the road which he had broken off my bowling. I am looking at it now, on my bookshelf, with 'yours truly Imran Khan' signed on it. Happily, for me, he mishit another attempt to demolish the pub (he was a teetotaller) and was caught by Podge Hughes at long on.

The Irish first innings lasted 115 overs and totalled 258 runs. This again sounds very slow but was probably the norm. There were contributions from most of the batsmen with only Alec O'Riordan, the captain and playing in his last Irish match, reaching 40. The highlight though was the innings of Podge Hughes. I was lucky to take part in a 56 run eighth wicket partnership which I remember intimately. I was lucky because I was dropped in the slips by Phillipson before scoring. Imran was bowling and he had Podge dropped, also by Phillipson. Enraged, probably more by Podge's tactics of backing away, charging and clipping the ball over the slips, wicketkeeper or cover, Imran decided the way to dismiss Podge was to bounce him every ball. The weather was disimproving, getting darker and this was before the introduction of helmets. Imran was not aware that Podge was immune to intimidation, on or off the field. He was warned twice by Australian umpire and legendary character Cec Pepper and then taken off. One ball flew off Podge's back as he manoeuvred himself towards the square leg umpire, over the wicketkeeper, for 4 'leg' byes.

In 1977 Imran, according to some experts, was regarded as the fastest bowler in world cricket. As this stand progressed there were no fielders in front of square. When I had to face I just ducked and waited for Imran to notice that the batsmen had changed ends. He didn't change the field so when he resorted to a good length ball I could claim a single for a forward defensive prod and retreat to the safety of the bowling end to enjoy the spectacle. It was during this stand and during one of the lengthy periods I spent at the non-striker's end that Cec Pepper came up with a memorable comment that I remember better than far more important details from the game. Phillipson was bowling and on his ramble back to his mark there was a well merited blast of flatulence. 'It's a fine stallion that farts on his way back into the stable', came Pepper's riposte.

In the Sussex second innings the score stood at 103 for 1, thanks to Barclay and Graves, but Monteith(5 wickets) and Corlett(3 wickets) ensured they only accumulated 197. It is strange that the most memorable incidents in many games are often things not recorded in the stats. The ground was liberally speckled with deck chairs and even though I was the bowler it was not possible to stifle a guffaw as John Elder, on as a sub fielder, careered through a row of deck chairs, their occupants and their lunches at square leg when running for a catch. Perhaps he sees the funny side of it nowadays.

Ireland had 200 to win in 108 minutes plus 20 0vers and when 3 wickets fell for 18 a win seemed unlikely. Jack Short then played the innings of his career. He reached 50 in even time and with Chris Harte, who also played the innings of his career, saw Ireland to 171. Short was bowled by Imran on 99 and Harte was given out on 49 by umpire Oslear, caught off his hip down the leg side. He had not hit it and he made this clearly obvious by the lengthy departure from the field accompanied by wistful backward glances, gesticulations and an apparent effort to pick daisies on the outfield. Captain Alec was not best pleased and pressed Chris into a post match apology which was willingly accepted. The score then was 180. Again it is funny to think that I remember that more than the next 23 runs to win scored by Corlett and Hughes, especially as I was the next batsman.

Jack Short's innings could be said to be the best ever innings by an Irish batsman, given the circumstances and the opposition. It certainly ranks alongside George McVeagh's 102* (batting at no.8) against the West Indies in 1928 in College Park when Ireland won by 60 runs. In illustrating the sometimes ridiculous nature of form in cricket, in 1977 Jack had made 80* against the Australians, a pair against Scotland and now 30 and 99 against Sussex.

The Ireland squad that played at Pagham

It should be said that Sussex played their part in a wonderful game, always using tactics to try and win the game, not slowing the over rate on the last afternoon for example, and bowling both spinners for a lengthy spell. However, the fact that Ireland won this game having bowled the opposition out twice and chased on the last afternoon probably makes it the best ever result, at least in the amateur era. It was a fitting finale for Alec O'Riordan whose ability as a class left arm opening bowler would undoubtedly have won him test caps if he had played in England. As an Irish all-rounder he is probably only bettered by Bob Lambert who dominated Irish cricket for over 30 years up to 1930. He reached a record milestone in this match by completing a double of 2000 runs and 200 wickets.

After the non-cap 50 over game at the Oval we played another memorable game at Lords. 2 innings 2 day matches tend to have to be a bit contrived and this was a game on a very good wicket, manufactured with 3 declarations and Ireland 4 runs short of a win at stumps with only 5 wickets down in the second innings. The South African Clive Rice was reduced to bowling bouncers in the last two overs to prevent an Irish win. To illustrate the ability in this Irish team, Ivan Anderson (the Goat) was only 19 runs short of a second century in the match, having been 103 not out in the first innings. Ivan had made virtually no contribution against Sussex, except for his superb fielding at cover. That's cricket. He was the most accomplished Irish batsman of his era which covered a long time, 1966 to 1985.

This was indeed a memorable tour with a talented group of players, many of whom would have made excellent county cricketers. That was not a route that Irish cricketers considered in the 1970s. The manager on this tour was Fred Brady of YMCA. He was known as the 'Damager' as his managerial skills were heavy on enquiring whether his players were damaged, as some were from time to time. At the AGM of the ICU in Ballymascanlon that following winter when the players who attended were basking in the glory of a great tour, Fred launched a scathing attack on the behaviour of the team at night. This was unexpected as we had no memory of his efforts at curbing nocturnal activities at the time. He clearly did not entertain the philosophy of 'no tales out of school'.