For this match R O'Brien was not available for selection. The team in fact played as selected.

This was another crushing defeat which would have been by an innings had the MCC requested Ireland to follow-on. It was a strong MCC side as Walford, Blake, Murray-Wood, Mallett, Bailey, Jowett and Bedford were all well-known players. In 1947, when only 17 years of age, Ian Bedford had taken 25 wickets in a month for Middlesex who that year were County champions. In this match Bedford bowled his leg breaks and googlies beautifully and is a great pity that he can no longer play county cricket.

Ireland introduced two newcomers in Hewitt, a fast bowler, and Lewis, a batsmen. Miller was restored as wicket-keeper for what transpired to be his last match for Ireland as he retired after the game. It was his 16th match for Ireland since 1949.

The wicket was very bare and must have considerably assisted the spinners. The weather was hot but a trifle gusty. Walford and Belle opened to Hewitt and Kenny. At 21 Burke replaced Kenny and with his first ball had Walford well caught by Huey at gully. Skinner and Belle added 31 and then Kenny, coming on again, bowled Skinner and at 59 had Belle LBW for 27. Blake and Allan took the score to 84 when the former touched one from Kenny to Miller. He had made 22. Hardy joined Allen and the lunch score was 101-4. 23 runs came in 15 minutes after lunch before Allen was stumped off Hewitt. 124-5-15. Now came a very loose spell from Hewitt and Huey and in the next 27 minutes Hardy and Murray-Wood added 42 runs. Huey eventually had Hardy caught at cover by Caprani for 38. Then Kenny came back and bowled Murray-Wood at 179. Mallett and Bedford were now together and they took the score to 198 when Mallett was bowled by Kenny for 24.

As in the game against Scotland the last two wickets were allowed to add too many runs. Bedford and Bailey were now together. Kenny, after bowling Murray-Wood and Mallett, and with the new ball due, was taken off - an extraordinary decision of Pollock's. The new ball, at 206-8, was given to Hewitt and Burke. Hewitt bowled Bedford at 225, but Bailey and Jowett added a further 25 before Walford declared at 250-9. Bailey was 24 not out. Wild bowling by Hewitt had produced 32 extras. Kenny, in 20 overs, had taken 5-57. He should have been given the second new ball and allowed to "bowl himself out" if necessary.

The Irish innings lasted 2 hours for a total of 91. To the third ball of Bailey's first over Warke offered no stroke and was bowled. The next partnership between Martin and Pollock was the best of the innings. It added 25 runs. By this stage Bedford had come on to bowl and he took wickets at regular intervals. Martin made 18 in an hour while the best batting came from Duffy. He came in at 35-4 and remained to the end undefeated with 33 not out. He batted for just an hour. Lewis had the misfortune to get a duck in his first innings. He was bowled round his legs by Bedford. Miller, at number 11, joined Duffy at 6:15 PM and managed to survive until 6:25 PM, thus ensuring that Ireland would not follow-on that evening. Bedford bowled 20.5 overs and took six for 54 Jowett's offspinners giving him 1-2 in nine overs, eight of them maidens.

Walford did not enforce the follow-on and in 90 minutes MCC scored 136 for four. Kenny got a wicket in each of his first two overs. Warke caught Belle and Skinner in the leg trap. In the next 29 minutes, however, Walford and Blake added 60. Walford collared Hewitt in one over hitting 4-2-2-4-3 off successive balls. Here again the field placing was poor and certainly not defensive enough. Blake was bowled by Kenny in his sixth over for 23. Kenny bowled only one more over in the innings, taking 3-32 in seven overs. Duffy, meanwhile, had put a brake on Walford's scoring rate and Huey came on for Kenny. Walford and Allan were together for a while then Allan touched the ball into his face and retired hurt. Hardy scored one. 100 had come in 67 minutes. When the score was 136-4, Walford declared. He had made 67 not out in 90 minutes.

Ireland required 296 to win in 285 minutes. Bailey and Mallett each bowled three maidens to Warke and Martin and Mallett gave way to Bedford. Martin was at once dropped at slip. The opening pair played themselves in and began to make shots. Just on the lunch interval Mallett returned to bowl leg breaks and Warke pushed a long-hop straight back to him. 33-1-70. Pollock joined Martin after lunch but Mallett had him LBW in his next over. 41-2-3. Mallett now had 2-0 in five overs. Caprani and Martin added 29 in the next 25 minutes. Caprani was then bowled for 19 and after being 70-2 Ireland were quickly all out for 111. The spin of Bedford and Jowett was too much for Ireland's batsmen. Duffy, the hero of the first innings, was out first ball, bowled by Jowett. Martin batted 1¾ hours for his 32 before playing a weak stroke and being caught and bowled by Bedford. Kenny and Burke took the score from 84-8 to 111-9 and Kenny finished with 20 before Bedford bowled him. Bedford, in this innings, bowled 22.2 overs to take 5-54. The match ended at 3:40 PM