The visitors batted first but were bowled out for 79 by Samuel's fellow debutant George Berkeley, an Oxford Blue and a very good left arm medium pacer. Ireland, in turn, struggled against the bowling of Clement Cottrell and HW Studd. Cottrell was fast medium, a well known club cricketer, who played a number of matches for Middlesex when not making a fortune on the stock exchange. Harry Studd, a serving army officer - he finished as a brigadier - brother of CT and GB both past players in this fixture, was mainly a batsman who bowled a rather erratic fast medium He took only one wicket in first class cricket.

Between them, they reduced Ireland to 75/6 when Samuel joined John Nunn, who in company with Edward Fitzgerald and Frank Browning had been the only batsmen to show any confidence. These three alone reached double figures in the innings. Samuel now helped Nunn see the score past 90 before the latter was out. Samuel continued to offer defiance despite losing another partner. He took the score beyond 100, before, perhaps not trusting his new colleague, RL Pike a fine bowler, but negligible bat, he hit a Studd full toss straight to mid on. His doughty 8 was the next highest score after the three double figures Ireland's innings ended on 109 thus gaining a 30 runs advantage which was to prove crucial. Eventually, after more good bowling from Berkeley, they needed 106 to win. Samuel was the last man to be dismissed, bowled by Cottrell for 3 with the score on 77. However, though the match went into the fourth morning Nunn, who together with Fitzgerald had again stood out among the batsmen, found a useful partner in Berkeley and saw Ireland home.

Samuel Henry Guest Fleming did not play for Ireland again, even his club appearances became rather spasmodic. He married Anne Dowse, from a Dublin family well known for producing rugby footballers and clergymen. Their son John entered the ministry of the Church of Ireland. Samuel was a highly successful stockbroker and died a wealthy man.

Edward Liddle, January 2010