The weather was still not warm but it was sunny. Ireland won a fourth successive toss and chose to field, and got the worst of the pitch, but one must take into account the superior quality of the Somerset bowling. Somerset's England Test match bowler, Caddick, could not play due to injury. Opening bat Lathwell had played two tests in 1993. Mushtaq Ahmed was the Pakistan leg spinner. Trescothick, a tall young left-hander, was very impressive. When he settled in he scored 122 off 112 balls with a six and 15 fours, mostly pulling and driving. Trump had been in Ireland in 1987 as captain of the successful England South team in the International Youth Tournament of that year.

Ireland selected 13. Hoey, with work problems, dropped out and was not replaced. Rea was still unavailable. Then Millar fractured a thumb and was replaced by Stephen Ogilby of Bready who had just turned 19. Smyth came in for the first time and, as a consequence, Ireland had to rely on an 11 overs stint divided between Dunlop and Lewis, because Cooke was again left out of the 12.

Lathwell and Trescothick went off at a very brisk pace against Butler and Patterson. 50 was up in 10 overs but before this, in the 10th over, Lathwell hit the ground with his bat and flicked Patterson to Curry at mid-wicket. 39-1-16. Patterson was struck on the leg and had to leave the field. Bowler, formerly of Derbyshire, joined Trescothick and there followed a partnership of 163, a record for Somerset's second wicket in Benson and Hedges matches. Graham, Harrison, Lewis and Dunlop were all tried before lunch but the score moved quickly upwards. 100 came up in 20 overs, 150 in 28. Lunch was taken after 37 overs at 202-1, Bowler 54 and Trescothick 113. The latter's hundred came in the 30th over when he took 12 in the first Dunlop over. With 18 overs left Somerset needed 148 to reach 350.

Patterson returned and resumed bowling. He bowled the first ball after lunch which Bowler deposited into Dunlop's hands at deep square leg. 202-2-54. Two overs and 14 runs later Trescothick nibbled at Butler to give Ogilby his first International catch. 216-3-122. Patterson took his third wicket in the 44th over when Harden was lbw playing across the line in a search for quick runs. 232-4-10. Ecclestone joined Rose and, in the remaining 11 overs, shared by four bowlers, Somerset got a further 84 runs, four of these overs yielding double figures. Butler bowled Ecclestone in the 51st over at 279 but the last 27 balls saw 37 runs scored by Rose and his captain, Hayhurst. Rose hit 47 with six fours and, in the entire innings, four sixes and 31 fours were hit. Patterson was easily the best of Ireland's bowlers, despite his injury, and he had 3-48 in his 11 overs.

At 3.20 p.m. Warke and Dunlop set off against Rose and Ecclestone. Rose is 6'4" but not really quick. His height achieved bounce. Both openers retreated onto the back foot and both were lbw, Dunlop at 12 and Warke at 32. Warke scored 19. Dunlop had already been dropped at slip. In the 15th over Rose had both Smyth and Benson caught at slip by Trescothick, Smyth at 33 and Benson, after hitting a four, at 37.

Harrison joined Lewis for the best stand of the innings, 36, which straddled the tea interval. Rose had bowled his 11 overs for 21 runs and four wickets. This, allied to his 47 not out, won him the Man-of-the-Match Award. By tea, taken after 25 overs, Ireland were 58-4, Lewis 11 (including a six off Mushtaq) and Harrison 7. Trump, off spin, had now come into the attack and enjoyed the pitch now taking spin. He bowled Lewis at 73 and Curry at 75, bowled pushing forward. Lewis had been the highest Irish scorer for the second successive match. With another off-spinner, Hayhurst, joining Trump at the bowling crease the end came rapidly. 73-4 became 83 all out.

Graham, lbw, and Patterson, caught at the wicket, were both out in the same over to Hayhurst at 80. Ogilby was caught at slip in Trump's next over. The gallant Harrison was last out in over 40 giving Trescothick his fourth slip catch. Harrison had faced 69 balls for his 18.

Derek Scott