Moore of CYM, left-arm fast, and Taylor (aged 19), left-arm slow, made their debut and both took early wickets. Dunlop and Thompson were the two left out. Claughton, Knight and Barclay played in the Duchess's team in 1989. The century maker Dyer was formerly of Warwickshire. The day was fine and AIB entertained their clients in a marquee and hosted a dinner for the Irish party at the Norfolk Arms Hotel in the evening.

Warke and Cohen had 24 up in four overs against the bowling of K Thomson and J Pugh. Dixon replaced Pugh for the 12th over with the score on 42. His third ball, at 43, saw Cohen (then 25) dropped by Dyer at gully. 50 came up in 15.4 overs. The opening stand was 61 scored in 71 minutes when Barclay, in his second over, had Warke stumped. 61-1-22. Barclay stemmed the scoring rate. At 71 Cohen (44) was dropped off a caught and bowled chance. This was not expensive as two overs later Cohen was caught at the wicket in Barclay's sixth over. 73-2-45. In seven overs up to lunch Smyth and Lewis moved the score to 96-2, Smyth 6, Lewis 18. With Barclay and Knight in tandem Smyth and Lewis saw 100 up in 37.2 overs and, in all, added 66 in 50 minutes.

Then disaster occurred which prevented Ireland from getting quick runs and making an earlier declaration. Four wickets fell for 5 runs. At 139 Lewis was caught at the wicket off Barclay for 41. In Knights next over Smyth run out for 23, also with the total at 139. Two runs later Vincent was stumped off Barclay. This was Barclay's fourth and last wicket all assisted by Head, the former Sussex wicket-keeper.

At 144 Hoey was LBW to Knight. Taylor faced 15 balls for a single while Patterson got going. 16 were put on before Knight had Taylor caught at second slip in the 56th over. McCrum helped Patterson to rescue the situation. In eight more overs 31 were added. Patterson hit 10 in the last over before the declaration, bowled by Thomson. He emerged with 36 not out in 66 minutes. Ireland would like to have scored a few more runs in a few less overs. Barclay, bowling 23 overs unchanged, took 4-59. Knight had 2-42 in 15 overs. The innings in total lasted 64 overs.

The Duchess's team was set 192 in 74 minutes +20 overs. This turned out to be 44 overs. 14 overs were bowled in 49 minutes up to tea and 24 overs in all before the start of the last hour. Moore took a wicket with his 11th ball in International Cricket. He bowled Claughton with the total on 8. He could have got another in his fourth over when the score was 13. Dyer gave wicket-keeper Bailey a wide catch - this, as events proved, was a crucial miss.

Moore bowled five overs for 19 and Taylor replaced him for two overs before tea. In the over after the Dyer miss McCrum had Robins caught by Warke at second slip. 19-2-4. At tea, the score was 32-2, Dyer 22, Knight 3. Hoey came on for McCrum at once after tea. Dyer greeted him with 3 fours in his first over. However, Hoey bowled to the end except for a change of ends. His 15 overs cost 83! Taylor's 13th ball accounted for Knight with the total on 44. Smyth caught him at short fine leg.

50 was up in 16.2 overs. Taylor took another wicket in his sixth over when Bailey caught Martin with the total on 56. Barclay helped Dyer add 38 in only 22 minutes, Dyer going to his 50 in 80 minutes. At 94 Barclay drove Hoey to mid-off in the sixth of the last 20 overs. Dyer was now 64 and 98 were needed in 14.4 overs. Lewis had an expensive four overs, conceding 23, so perhaps Taylor should not have been taken off (after 2-29 in 9 overs). The Dyer-Dixon stand put on 42 in 23 minutes and 6.4 overs.

McCrum was recalled at 136. His second ball had Dixon (20) caught at the wicket and his fourth ball in a maiden over saw Pugh run out by a swift Hoey throw. Dyer was now 85. There were seven overs to go, 56 runs were needed when the captain, AR Dewes, came in. 4 came in the next over and only 1 in McCrum's next over. 51 now were needed in 5 overs. Hoey's next over yielded 11 and saw Cohen drop a skier off Dewes (then 5) at long on with the score on 148. 40 were now needed in 4 overs. Then 33 off 3 and 25 off 2. Dyer had gone to 100 in 133 minutes, the second 50 coming in 53 minutes.

McCrum's first four balls in the second last over yielded 8. Then McCrum had Dewes caught at cover. Now 17 were needed in 9 balls. The batsmen had crossed and Dyer hit a 2 off McCrum's last ball. Head got a single off Hoey's first ball of the last over. Dyer now faced with 14 needed off 5 balls. Hoey restricted him to 5 runs including 2 balls which were not scored off. A very good match with honours even. Dyer's 111*included 14 fours. He faced 142 balls and batted for 143 minutes. McCrum's 3-27 in 11 overs at a lively pace was good bowling. Dyer won the AIB Man-of-the-Match Award.

Derek Scott