The Irish team was unchanged from the Derbyshire match, McBrine still being unavailable and being sorely missed. Scotland played O Henry, a Cape Coloured qualified for Scotland by residence and a professional. He took 13 wickets for 174 runs with his slow left arm bowling and he was the first in this long series to take 13 wickets in a match. A Goram and DR Brown were also new to this match, the former being a Scottish International goalkeeper from Hibernian.

There had been rain overnight but the match started on time and soon the sun was shining on what became a very hot day. Nelson's first ball drifted away from Philip who was caught at gully. Swan hit two fours off Jeffrey but was LBW in Nelson's fourth over (12-2-9) and Snodgrass was bowled in Nelson's eighth over with a ball which nipped back as Snodgrass tried to force it. 31-3-9. This ball went into a hedge and a substitute ball was used until it was found an over later. Patterson, who scored a century on debut in 1988, was playing well. He and Henry saw 50 up in 25 overs. Thompson had replaced Jeffrey.

At 64 in a surprising change Lewis replaced Nelson (who had taken 3-14 in 11 overs at that stage). Henry hit Lewis's third and fifth balls for four, the fourth being a no-ball. Lewis had also received a warning for running on the pitch. Next ball Henry tried to force again and played on. 73-4-25. Halliday began a stint at the sea end which was to last until near the end of the innings. He bowled 31 successive overs broken only by lunch and tea. The left-handed Goram opened strongly. At lunch, he was 18, Patterson 28 (in 135 minutes) and the score 97-4 in 33 overs.

After lunch Nelson took up the bowling again. The fifth stand added 50 in 49 minutes and a crucial catch was dropped just before the stand ended. Patterson (38) nudged Halliday and Harrison dropped the knee-high catch. Patterson went on to get 51 more runs. At 123 Goram mis-hooked Nelson and Lewis took the skier at mid-on. 123-5-32. Seven runs later Harrison caught Smith waist high at second slip off Nelson. Nelson now had 5-23 in 18 overs. He bowled only three more overs and came off with the score at 143-7. Halliday had taken the seventh wicket at 133 when Jackson dived in front of Govan from one that popped up. Patterson was now 44.

Haggo joined him and a long (67 minutes for 47 runs) slow stand ensued. Thompson replaced Nelson and bowled 17 overs from the top end. Patterson went to 50 in 222 minutes of intense application. He gave Jackson a very difficult chance when 59 and the total 163. Thompson eventually broke the stand when Haggo was LBW with the total on 180, having made 18. Brown came in and saw 200 up in 72.3 overs.

By tea (which came after 75 overs and 279 minutes) the score was 202-8, Patterson 81, Brown 11. Patterson did not reach a century in his second first-class match having made one in his first. When 89 he was LBW to Thompson with the total on 213. He batted 10 minutes under five hours and faced 234 balls. Still the Irish agony was not over. Moir (15) proved a very good partner for Brown. He hit six fours in his 44 not out. 48 runs were added in 63 minutes in almost 20 overs before Jeffrey, bowling only his 13th over of the innings, had Moir LBW. 133-7 now became 261 all out. Nelson's 5-27 in 21 overs was outstanding and his non-use between 3:08 PM and the end of the innings at 5:53 PM was quite extraordinary. Halliday (1-83 in 31 overs) was not at his best but he had played little recent cricket.

Cohen and Warke survived for 17 overs and 55 minutes at the end of the day, Warke 6, Cohen 25, in a score of 32. Four bowlers were tried and an easy slip catch was dropped in Henry's first over. Warke (then 2) was put down by Moir with the total on 23. On the second (again sunny) day Ireland progressed to 95-1, then collapsed to 173-7 and, as in the case of Scotland, the tail wagged. The last three wickets put on 76 and the Scottish lead was restricted to 12. The first ball of the day again claimed a victim. It was well pitched up from Moir to Cohen who snicked to 1st slip. 32-1-25. Nulty came in next and added 63 runs at a run a minute with Warke. 50 was up in 20.4 overs.

Henry came on at 76 and held one end for the rest of the innings. Goram was given three expensive (16 runs) overs with the score at 83 but in the midst of this, with the total on 95, Warke, playing almost no defined stroke, was caught at the wicket off Henry for 37, scored in 118 minutes. With Lewis in 100 was up in 35.4 overs. The stand put on 27 in 22 minutes.

There then followed some hari-kari. 122-2 became 148-6 in a period of 31 minutes. At 125 Lewis rushed at Henry and was brilliantly caught right handed by the bowler, but Nulty had left before him, spooning the ball to cover. Nulty's 43 occupied 84 minutes and was to be the top score of the innings. Harrison and Garth put on a quick 23 but they departed in successive overs. Garth was caught at the wicket off a half-hearted shot to Govan and Harrison was caught by the bowler, Henry, low to his left with Harrison not at the pitch of the ball. Jackson (14) and Thompson (3) survived to lunch when the score was 165-6.

At 173 Govan caught a great catch coming over his shoulder as he ran towards the mid-on boundary to dismiss Thompson. 173-7-5. Halliday proved a good partner for Jackson. 200 came up in 67 overs. Moir returned for Govan but Henry broke the stand with the total on 211. He changed his line and had Jackson caught off a mis-sweep for a belligerent 36 in 72 minutes. At 218 Nelson was LBW to Moir. Swan twice dropped Halliday at slip off Moir, the first an easy one, at 212 and 225. There followed a very valuable stand of 31 for the last wicket. With the field in Halliday struck four fours and reached 36 in 90 minutes. Govan returned and had Halliday LBW with his fifth ball. The Scottish lead was reduced to only 12 and the last three wickets had added 76. Henry had taken 6-88 but only the tail played him well by going back.

In the 50 minutes play before tea Jeffrey, with a fine burst of left-arm over the wicket bowling, took three wickets in his first five overs. Patterson was caught one-handed on the leg side by the diving Jackson off the last ball of Jeffrey's first over. The first of his next over hit Swan's off stump through his forward defensive stroke. 16-2. In his fifth over he bowled Snodgrass who played a poor stroke. 38-3-13. Haggo came in as tea watchman. He was 1 and Philip 13 when tea came at 41-3 in 12 overs. At 30 Harrison began a 24 overs stint of off breaks, bowling until the end of the innings on the third morning. The field crowded in and, in his fifth over, Haggo was caught at silly mid-off off bat and pad. Philip and Henry added 44 in 30 minutes, 100 coming in only 24.4 overs. Henry hit five fours in his 26 before mis-hitting a back foot drive to cover. 107-5-26.

Again the Scots recovered and the last five wickets added 86. With Goram in Philip reached 50 in 110 minutes. He lost Goram, LBW to Harrison, at 139 and was stumped himself at 156. His 69 held the innings together. At 166 Brown was another Harrison victim, caught at silly mid-off. 166-8-5. At 171 in 46 overs, Smith 19 and Govan 2 saw the day out.

The third day began at 10:30 AM and was scheduled to last until 4:30 PM. Harrison and Halliday did the bowling. In the fifth over Smith played on to Harrison while advancing. 183-9-22. At 11:02 AM rain drove the players in for 51 minutes. Within four minutes of the restart Govan mis-swept at Halliday and the ball lobbed to Jackson. 193 had come in 57.3 overs. Harrison bowled 24 of these with his off spin and took 6-75, his first five-wicket haul.

Starting at 12:07 PM, Ireland had to get 206 to win in 163 minutes +20 overs. The period to lunch was 53 minutes. On Scotland's first innings bowling rate 65 overs or thereabouts might be expected. This 65 proved to be correct so the rate required was 3.17 runs per over. All went well to lunch. Moir and Brown bowled 11 overs and Henry 2. The lunch score was 38-0, Cohen 24 Warke 13. Drizzle delayed the restart by three minutes. Henry and Govan took up the bowling and between them bowled 52 overs up to the end. 50 came up in 18.5 overs but the rate was slowing.

At 69 both openers were out in successive overs from Henry, the 27th and 29th of the innings. Warke was not at the pitch of the ball which he lobbed to extra cover. 69-1-32. Cohen mis-swept to short fine leg. 69-2-36. There was now a case for Garth whom the selectors picked at number three. Nulty, a poor player of slow bowling, came in however and was followed by Lewis. Their stand of 33 took 49 minutes and 14 overs - the rate slowing even further. Then Nulty was bowled by Henry. 102-3-17, the 100 coming up in 40.4 overs. Harrison got 10 of 15 added in 18 minutes in five overs. He then swung across the line and was LBW to Govan. 117-4-10.

Garth now arrived and there was a stand of 25 in 18 minutes again off five overs. Earlier, with the total at 109-3, the final 20 overs minimum were signalled, with 97 needed. This was now somewhat of a tall order unless Lewis and Garth could do most of it. They could not. Garth pulled a short ball straight to deep square leg at 142. 64 now were needed and 12 overs remained. Lewis now tried to accelerate but lost Thompson with the total on 156, head up and swinging he was caught at silly point.

Nine overs remained to get 50. Seven overs later the last hope went when Lewis was caught at cover in trying to drive on the on-site. His 42 had taken 109 minutes and 90 deliveries. Two runs later, in the 16th over of the final 20, Jackson was caught at silly mid-off to give Henry his 13th wicket in the match and a new record. 4.5 overs remained and the field crowded around Halliday and Nelson. The added 21 into the open spaces, Halliday hitting three fours. It had been a good even match, with ups and downs, but destroyed by the 51 minute delay on the third morning.

Derek Scott