A match of varying fortunes the pitch constantly changing character due to rain and sun. Scotland lost their last six wickets for 18 runs on the last day. Ireland, set 139 in 61 minutes plus a minimum of 20 overs, won well thanks to Short's brilliant 80 not out. The wins are now equal in this series at 17 each. The wicket was covered throughout by a plastic sheet. Rain leaked under it before the match but not where the ball pitched. It also sweated a bit so there was moisture in the pitch on the first morning. The Scots treated this very slow, if inconsistent bouncing, pitch with grave suspicion. The sun came out and dried it and it became very easy when Steele and Robertson (a bowler) put on 103 for the sixth wicket. It was, in fact, a game of long stands and dreadful collapses. Ireland brought in EA Bushe to keep wicket following Colhoun's retirement. He had been substitute for 24 successive matches since 1974. Anderson returned for Harpur. Scotland had no new caps but DL Bell (a rugby International) and TM Black were new to the match against Ireland.

The first day was humid and still. Eventually a hot sun came out. Elder's first five overs were maidens and his spell of eight overs cost six runs. Corlett bowled 13 overs for 13 runs. The Scots got out to a succession of bad shots. At 3, Laing hit a short ball straight to Harrison at square leg. Harrison hurt his hand and the 12th man, M Whelan, fielded for a while. At 4 Stewart waved at a wide half volley from Corlett and Bushe had his first victim. Monteith came on for Elder and in his third over he got one to turn which Bell was never behind. He was easily caught at first slip. Halliday replaced Monteith at the Mountpleasant end and the latter switched to the Rathmines end. At once Racionzer played against Monteith's spin and lobbed a catch to backward short leg. Black and Steele now put on 32 with Black scoring 31! The spinners changed ends again and Black hit Corlett on the head at short leg. He was wearing a newly acquired helmet but did cut his finger. After the total reached 37 Steele scored his first run, which was a possible catch low to Reith at second slip. Then, in the same Monteith over, Black trying to sweep lobbed a catch to Bushe. 58-5-31. At lunch, after 135 minutes, 46 overs had been bowled. The score was 64-5, Steele 7 Robertson 0.

Between lunch and tea the wicket was benign, it having dried in hot sun. In 125 minutes 47 overs were bowled. Scotland added 103 and lost Robertson 7 minutes before the interval. Anderson was given a six over spell, Corlett bowled three overs but found bowling difficult due to his cut finger. Reith, rarely used, came on and at 180 Bushe missed a chance off him given by Steele (29). At 151 the new ball was taken by Reith immediately it was due (after 85 overs). Robertson went to a well played 50 in 114 minutes and then Anderson put him down at cover off Reith with the total on 161. The mistake cost nothing. In his next over Reith caught and bowled him to give the bowler his first wicket for Ireland. It was the eighth innings in which he had bowled over a long number of years and he had conceded over 100 runs. 161-6-51. Goddard now came in. Off the last ball before tea, bowled by Corlett, Steele hooked to deep long leg where Halliday put down the catch and the ball went for four. The score at tea was 167-6, Steele 49, Goddard 2. In another 12.2 overs the innings ended. Corlett bowled at the Rathmines end and took three wickets. Steele did not score after Halliday's mistake. At 167 Johnston caught him very well at slip. His 49 showed his good technique. It occupied 167 minutes and he faced 206 deliveries. With the score on 170 Bushe caught Goddard and at 186 Elder caught Clark at wide mid off. As 191 Elder finished the job by bowling Ker - the other nine wickets all being catches. In all 105.2 overs were bowled in 303 minutes - a very good over rate. Corlett emerged with 4-37 and Monteith with 3-45.

Ireland went in with 78 minutes remaining in the day. Towards the end 14 minutes were lost to rain. Short started in great form and Clark was hit for 16 in four overs. Reith was playing with studied defence. Soon the spinners, Goddard and McPherson, were on. With the total on 48 (which included 10 extras) Short unluckily played on to McPherson while attempting to drive. 48-1-29. Reith 9, O'Brien 5 saw the day out with the total on 53-1.

Rain in the morning prevented play until just after 2 PM on Sunday, 113 minutes being lost. O'Brien hit Robertson for three lovely boundaries to mid-wicket. Goddard came on and stemmed the flow. Ker dropped O'Brien off Goddard at cover with the total on 78. Goddard then changed ends and Ker dropped Reith at mid-off with the total on 89. 100 came up and then in Goddard's fifth over from the Mountpleasant end the collapse started. At 105 O'Brien - 34 with seven fours - played on driving Goddard. In his next over Anderson flicked a full toss to short leg. 107-3-1. In Goddard's next over two wickets fell. Reith (30) was caught at second slip pushing forward and Harrison pushed his second ball to cover. This was a widish ball to which Harrison did not move across. Goddard struck again in his next over when Johnston let the ball hit his bat and it lobbed to short-leg. 105-1 had now become 121-6 and Goddard had taken five wickets in 19 balls. Tea came at 4 PM with the total on 126-6 with Monteith 5 and Corlett 1. This pair added 35 in all against Goddard and McPherson. Then Monteith hooked Goddard to Robertson at deep square leg. 156-7-27. Clark came back for McPherson and had Corlett caught at the wicket first ball. 157-8-10. The last two wickets then put on 38. Elder hit Goddard for a six but was out at 173 caught at slip having a slog. Bushe came in for his first innings for Ireland and did very well. He and Halliday added 22. Bell dropped Halliday at mid-off with the total on 186. At 195, and a lead of four, Bushe skied Robertson to slip. The wicket was not easy but it was still very slow so this was a bad collapse. The innings lasted 84.3 overs and 261 minutes. Goddard, in 36 overs, emerged with 7-56.

Scotland had 67 minutes left to bat. 21 overs were bowled and the score was 27-1, Laing 10, Stewart 11. At seven Racionzer was caught at the wicket off Elder. At 21 Bushe dropped a hard chance given by Stewart off Halliday. Monteith varied his bowlers and used five of them in the 21 overs.

The third day was dark. Rain again caused leaking covers and wet run ups. Scotland did not want to play but the umpires decreed play could start at 11:30 AM, 30 minutes late. It seemed that they might have started on time as the wicket did not look unplayable. Could Ireland winkle Scotland out? In 19 minutes play to lunch three wickets fell and the score advanced to 79. Corlett bowled one over and then Monteith and Halliday were in harness. At 24 Stewart popped Halliday to short square leg. At 38 Corlett dropped Bell on an absolute dolly at mid-off from the bowling of Monteith. It was not expensive because Bell was stumped in Monteith's next over. 38-3-6. Nine runs later Laing got one from Monteith which popped and spun and Johnston took it left handed at slip. 47-4-20. There now began the Black-Steele stand which added 77 in 87 minutes straddling lunch. It looked to have put paid to Ireland's chances. The lunch score was 79-4, Black 23, Steele 5.

For 37 minutes after lunch the stand continued. Monteith kept Halliday going and tried Elder, Anderson and himself at the Rathmines end. The score began to mount quite rapidly. Black went to 52 in 102 minutes when the total was on 124 with a three off Halliday. There were no less than three hours left, only four wickets down, and Scotland led by 120. Suddenly Scotland collapsed. Six wickets went down in 44 minutes for only 22 runs. It began with the ball after Black's 50. Steele mis hit Halliday to Corlett at mid-on. 124-5-80. Two overs later Reith caught Robertson at leg slip off the handle for 0. 125-6-0. In Halliday's next over Black hit him for four then Short dived in and caught him while lying on the wicket. 130-7-57. Monteith now took two wickets. Goddard skied one to square leg (136-8) and next over Short caught his third short leg catch off Clark. 138-9. Three overs later Ker was caught at the wicket off Halliday. The wicket was taking turn but very slowly and the bounce was inconsistent. It was, however, a sudden bad collapse. Halliday had 5-39 in 33.2 overs, Monteith 4-52 in 30. 85.2 overs were bowled.

Tea was now taken. The roller broke down on the wicket and caused a 5 minute delay. So Ireland had 61 minutes plus a minimum of 20 overs in the last hour to get 139. 16 overs were bowled in the 61 minutes and Ireland were 59-1 - a great start due to the brilliance of Short, who at that point was 41 off 53 balls. The score was 20 after four overs and Goddard came on for the sixth over. He never captured his form of the first innings. His fifth over cost nine and his sixth cost eight. At 39 Reith cut at Robertson and was caught at the wicket. O'Brien was in for 24 minutes, faced 14 deliveries, scored one but added 31 with Short. At 70 Robertson yorked him in the second of the 20 overs. Ker replaced Goddard. Anderson hit him for two fours in one over then drove a catch to midwicket in the seventh over of the final 20. 87-3-10. 52 more were now required in 13 overs. Goddard came back at once for Robertson. Short crashed his first two balls for six and four. Next over Johnston played on to Ker but the bails stayed on! At 110 Johnston was dropped at the wicket off Goddard and, in the same over, at 113, Short crashed a difficult high catch back at Goddard. Now the floodgates were opened. Johnston hit two fours in Goddard's next over - one of which was another hard caught and bowled chance. Short hit two more fours off Ker's next over and Johnston cut the winning four off Goddard. There were 23 balls to spare. Short's 80 not out won him a washing machine from the sponsors Servis/Loughrey who gave £1,250 towards match expenses and a drinks reception in the Shelbourne Hotel. Short batted for 121 minutes, faced 96 deliveries and hit one 6 and 12 fours. It is a very brilliant display on his home ground. The 142 runs came off 32.1 overs. Goddard bowled 10.1 of these and was hit for 58.

JD Monteith, when he had scored 14 in the first innings, became the 19th player to score 1000 runs for Ireland. It was his 50th match and 71st innings. He also became the fifth player to achieve the 1000 run - 100 wicket double. At the end of this match he had, in fact, taken 246 wickets.