Ireland made a shocking start losing five wickets for eight runs. Three wickets fell at the score of five, the fourth at seven and the fifth at eight. King and Griffith, bowling very fast, were too much for the Irish batsman on the poor standard wicket. Griffith and King bowled five overs each and were taken off but it was Valentine (slow left arm and partner in many a test of Ramadhin) who got the fifth wicket when he bowled O'Riordan with his second ball. WI Lewis then arrived and when he was last out he had made 41 of the innings total of 62 and out of 54 scored while he was at the wicket. Lewis scored 39 of his 41 runs off Valentine and included a 6 to mid-wicket and four fours. Matier helped Lewis add 20 for the sixth wicket and Hunter and Lewis added 32 for the eighth wicket. Then the last three wickets fell at the score of 62. A White, a quickish offspinner, took 4-13 in 11 overs, but if the fast bowlers had been left on the score might not have reached 20.

At 1:20 PM Carew and McMorris opened the West Indies innings but there was to be no repeat of the strokeplay of Belfast. Carew was caught at slip at five and Nurse caught and bowled by O'Riordan at 16. White and McMorris took the score to 49 but then three wickets fell before Ireland's total was passed. At 49 White was caught at cover off O'Riordan and one run later Hunter bowled McMorris for 19. At 52 Kanhai waved his bat at O'Riordan and Hunter took the catch at cover - much to the crowd's disappointment for Kanhai, on a good wicket, is a brilliant batsman. After 90 minutes Ireland's total was passed. Under the laws governing one-day matches, it was a match to be determined over two innings. However, if the result could not be obtained over two innings then West Indies would be deemed to have won by five wickets on first innings. Hunte and Allan took the score to 81. Hunter, bowling off cutters, took four of the last five wickets for 18 runs and five in all for 36. Hunte's 27 (with five fours) was the top score.

Ireland now went in with 130 minutes left and 64 required to save an innings defeat. Griffith and King did not bowl flat out but Griffith had both the opening bats caught for 21. Matier was LBW to Carew at 34 and Duffy was caught off Valentine 37. At 50 Lewis left and there was still half an hour left. Martin played steadily but Hunter hit Carew for six and three fours in his 22. Towards the end non-bowlers Kanhai and McMorris were put on and each of them got a wicket. Martin played 95 minutes for his 29 not out and it was a pity that the match should have petered out the way it did but the wicket must take the ultimate blame.

Derek Scott