It was Yorkshire's first visit since 1959. They sought the games to fill a gap in their programme which came at the wrong time. Of their 12 players, nine were capped and they included the great Geoffrey Boycott (now 45 years of age), Bairstow and Sidebottom, who had played test cricket. Ireland kept the same team, with Milling still unavailable. Patterson (injured) dropped out of the panel and was replaced by AS Jeffrey. Rothmans (pounds 2000) and Wiggins Teape (pounds 2500) combined to sponsor the matches. Pounds 800 was taken at this match on an overcast chilly day. A souvenir tie was on sale and produced a profit of around pounds 1000.

Yorkshire began at 11 AM with Boycott and Moxon facing Corlett and Jones. The start was sedate until Corlett bowled Moxon in the seventh over. 12-1-3. Sharp then came in. With Boycott 20 were put on in 40 minutes. Garth came on for the 15th over, Halliday for the 16th. Boycott went down the wicket to Halliday in the 20th over, missed and was stumped. 32-2-22. Love, a tall elegant player joined Sharp. 31 were put on in even time in 10.1 overs. Sharp hit Halliday to Prior at mid-wicket in the 30th over and the catch was juggled and caught. 63-3-19. At halfway the score was 63. McBrine was now bowling with Halliday. In 24 overs between them they conceded only 55 runs. The 38th over was Halliday's last and Garth replaced him. At 95 SN Hartley, playing to leg, got an edge and Garth took a caught and bowled. This was in the 44th over, at the end of which lunch was taken with the score at 95-4, Love 36, Bairstow 0.

Missed catches now played a part. At 110 Love was missed by Halliday at mid-off from the bowling of Garth. Corlett and Jones had each conceded only 11 runs in their first seven overs. They now came back to bowl the last 10. The pace quickened, going from 100 to 150 in 7.4 overs. At 169 there was another chance missed. Bairstow hit the first ball of the 57th over, bowled by Corlett, to Dennison at long off. It was dropped and went for four. The next two balls struck cars in the car park! 20 came off the over. 16 came in the 58 over bowled by Jones.

Love had been out in the 56th over, bowled by Jones. He was well caught at mid-wicket by McBrine for 76 in 111 minutes. He and Bairstow put on 69 in 12.1 overs. 200 arrived in 57.5 overs, the last 50, mostly by Bairstow, in only 4.2 overs. Jones bowled Bairstow in the last over. His 71 came in 56 minutes off 48 deliveries with four sixes and six fours. He scored of 16 off the last 18 balls he faced, and was missed twice - the first being a caught and bowled chance to Corlett when he was 20. Bairstow and PJ Hartley's 52 for the seventh wicket came in only 13 minutes off 23 balls - 45 of the runs to Bairstow.

Jarvis, fast and young ripped down the first four wickets. After Dennis had bowled an over Jarvis had Masood waving at his second ball to be caught at slip. His next delivery bowled Dennison. Cohen thus became the first of three Irish batsmen to face a hat-trick. He survived with Warke until the 12th over. Then Jarvis had Cohen caught at the wicket by Blakey and bowled Prior next ball. 19-4-0. Garth survived another hat-trick. Dennis, 0-15 in six overs, and Jarvis, 4-3 in six overs, were replaced by the two Hartleys, who are in fact unrelated. At 23 SN had Warke caught at the wicket. 23-5-14. Garth and Corlett clung together for eight overs. Then Garth hooked SN to be caught by PJ at deep square leg. 42-6-14.

Corlett and McBrine then had the best stand - 34 in 22 minutes with Carrick (slow left-arm) and Love (off spin) now bowling. Corlett was caught off Carrick with the score on 76 and became the third batsmen to score 14. At 80 Love struck twice with successive deliveries. Jackson was stumped and Halliday caught near the wicket. Jones not alone survived the hat-trick but drove his second ball straight for six. McBrine had hit a six off Carrick and now launched out with three fours. He saw 100 up before being caught for 34, scored off 35 deliveries, off another big hit. It was all over at 5 PM off 32.4 overs. Love finished with 3-23.

Derek Scott