Ireland made a poor start to the tournament, losing by seven wickets to the Dutch in their opening match. Ireland scored 157 in their 50 overs, with Ian Torrens hitting 38, Neil Smith 32 and Dean Simpson 24. But The Netherlands were always ahead of the rate on the matting wicket and won with 5.4 overs and seven wickets to spare.

Batting first, Canada totalled 171 for eight, of which Eddie Weekes scored 85. Ireland's reply was a disaster as they were bowled out for just 78 in 31 overs with only Leinster Schools captain Neil Smith offering any resistance.

In going down to their fourth successive defeat, Ireland almost pulled off the shock of the tournament when they lost by just six runs to the powerful England North side.

With Alan Ford taking five wickets for 46 and John Murphy four for 29, England North were dismissed for just 132. Ireland, after losing their first three wickets for just 12 runs, staged a great recovery.

Bangor batsman Howard Bingham hit 52 coming in at the fall of the third wicket and Ireland seemed poised for victory when he was ninth out with the total on 119. However, they managed only seven more runs as the last wicket fell off the final ball of the 50th over.

Amid scenes of greate excitement Ireland defeated Denmark in their final match in The Hague. Howard Bingham struck the fifth ball of the final over for four to save his sdie from the ignominy of returning home without a win in the competition.

Since not long before the total had stood at 68 for 8 and Bingam had just returned from having an x-ray on his badly bruised left foot, such an outcome seemed most unlikely. However, man of the match Norman McAuley struck 25 in a fashion belying his munber eleven position in the order until he was run out on the third ball of the 50th over.

In the field Ireland reproduced their good out cricket of Friday to dismiss the Danes for 103. Had it not been for a 49 runs fifth wicket partnership between the two Nielsens, the score would have been of paltry proportions.

When Dean Simpson dismissed both of them just before lunch the Irish side re-established their firm grip on the game that the bowling of Peter Currie and McAuley had given them earlier. These two were excellently supported by a tidy spell from John Murphy and two outstanding leg side catches by Norman Harpur, who kept a fine wicket throughout.

Once again Ireland's early batting let them down in the face of good pace bowling. With Ian Torrens and Gerry Delany each getting into double figures and Kenny Campbell striking a six and three fours in his 29, the score reached 65 for 5.

There then followed three dismissals and a succession of maidens until Bingham and the belligerent McAuley made a ninth wicket stand of 32. Last man Brian Johnston was able to take a single off his first delivery allowing Bingham the strike with three required from two deliveries. A fine pull to the midwicket boundary rendered the final delivery unnecessary.