After Wilson and Monkhouse started the bowling, Macintosh came on for the sixth over. In his second over Short was caught at second slip. 21-1-6. Wills had a lucky start in which he nearly had his head knocked off! He lost McDermott (10) at 26, caught at the wicket off Wilson and Anderson (0) at 30, caught low at third slip in Macintoshs fourth over. Wills and Harte battled away for 57 minutes. In this time no less than 95 runs were scored - 53 of them to Wills in the face of attacking fields. A lot of these runs came off Monkhouse and Payne. Wills hit seven fours, went to 50 in 104 minutes and was out on the stroke of lunch (1 PM) caught at mid-wicket off the slow left arm Cheatle (who had played for Sussex against Ireland in 1977). 125-4. Wills had made 58 and so had scored half centuries in his first match at both Lords and the Oval. At lunch Harte was 32 not out.

The second collapse was completed in a few overs after lunch. Harte was bowled by Cheatle at 128 and Prior was bowled by Macintosh at 138. Harpur gave mid-on a chance off Cheatle before he had scored. Then 52 were added with Corlett in 36 minutes. Needham and Cheatle were now in harness. In 14 balls they took two wickets each. 190-6 became 190 all out. Corlett (18) was bowled by Needham. Harpur (27) was LBW to Cheatle and, next ball, Torrens was caught at extra cover. Jackson was bowled by Needham to end the innings. Six Surrey bowlers were tried and Cheatle emerged with 4-39 in 13 overs.

Butcher and Pauline opened and went away at a great rush. Corlett conceded 20 in five overs, Torrens 28 in four. By tea the score was 64 in 17 overs, Butcher 27, Pauline 25. The pace went up afterwards. In 130 minutes 202 more runs were piled on and four wickets fell. Butcher went to 50 in 66 minutes. 100 came up in 72 minutes off 22 overs. Halliday stuck at it despite the runs hit off him, 71 in 15 overs. At 103 Harpur caught Pauline at cover off Halliday. At 125, Butcher (88) was caught off Anderson who was bowling his first over - perhaps held back too long. Butcher had batted 101 minutes and hit a six and 12 fours. Payne came in and continued the assault. 109 were added before Needham was caught at mid-on for 40 in a new spell by Corlett. Anderson was beaten off (39 runs conceded in seven overs) and Payne reached 53 in only 47 minutes with two sixes and seven fours. He eventually reached 91 in 84 minutes and was caught behind off Corlett in the 52nd and last over of the day. 266-4-91. Howarth was seven and runs had come at five an over.

Next morning (again starting at 10:30 AM) Ireland got Smith out at once when Jackson took a splendid catch off Torrens. At 298 a direct throw at the bowlers stumps by Harpur accounted for a languid Howarth (26). Almost at once Monkhouse should have suffered a similar fate at Harpur's hands but the latter went for the also untenanted batsmen's wicket and missed. 300 came up in 226 minutes off 63.1 overs. At 318 Short caught Macintosh at deep mid-on off Corlett and at 321 Monkhouse was LBW to Halliday. Stewart (son of Mickey) and Cheatle added 26 in 19 minutes with Cheatle driving one through McDermott's hands at cover. In successive overs Halliday got the last two wickets. He caught and bowled Cheatle at 347 and bowled Wilson at 351. His 4-109 came off 28.3 overs, Corlett3-103 came off 25.

The deficit was 161. Macintosh only bowled two overs with Wilson before Needham's off spin was produced. Three wickets fell at 18. McDermott was caught at second slip in Wilson's fifth over. Two balls later Wills was bowled off his body as he backed away, as he had been prone to do in the first innings. Nevertheless since his debut against Scotland he had not until now made less than 26, his scores being 48-64-26-30-35-58-0, a wonderful debut season after coming in initially as a substitute. In the next over Short was bowled by Needham. Anderson survived a while but at 29 was caught at square leg off Needham. This occurred after lunch. Then Harte and Prior tried to put a face on things. Pauline (a non-bowler in the first innings) was tried. 41 were added with Prior hitting his usual quota of boundaries but being more circumspect than usual. At 70 Harte (10) was caught and bowled by Cheatle in his third over.

With Harpur in 100 came up in 138 minutes. Butcher had given himself three overs of slow left arm. They cost 22, mainly to Prior. Having made 44, his highest score, Prior was bowled by Cheatle at 106, playing defensively. He had hit eight fours. This exciting player had made 191 runs since his introduction against Scotland, 154 of them in boundaries - a rate of 80%. Harpur fell to Needham's leg slip at the same score. Wilson came back and bowled Jackson at 122. Corlett now launched an assault, mostly on Wilson, in an attempt to save the innings defeat. He hit six fours in his 26 not out. Wilson bowled Torrens at 138 but not before Torrens had caused panic by losing his bat which went high over square leg. Halliday helped add 17 before being caught at mid-on. By six runs the attempt to make Surrey bat again failed.

The tour, with many new players, was a success. Everyone remained fit and the wins at Wales and Arundel were pleasing. The cost was about £6000 of which Allied Irish Banks gave £1000.

Derek Scott