Between the match against India and this match against MCC, Ireland were scheduled to play a three-day match against Scotland at Ormeau. However, the match was abandoned without a ball being bowled due to rain. For the Irish team SSJ Huey was due to have come out of retirement and McQuilken replaced Duffy who was injured. Torrens and Goodwin were dropped and Leng returned. WR Hunter was to be captain in place of O'Riordan. A 30 over match was played on the third day, but caps were not awarded for it, and it was won by Scotland who scored 97-9 and dismissed Ireland for 69.

A panel of 12 was selected for this match and the one that immediately followed it against Combined Services. Hunter replaced O'Riordan as Captain. SSJ Huey cried off and A McQuilken was unable to accept the invitation to replace him so H Martin (who had last been capped in 1963) came in. R Torrens was left out of the 12.

Ireland began a two-match tour in disastrous fashion - losing by an innings by 3 pm on the second day. It was a powerful MCC team but the Irish performance was very poor. The weather was fine and sunny throughout but the wicket was a little difficult. It was somewhat fiery and gave assistance to all the bowlers but MCC batsmen battled away to a good score. The Irish score of 59 was the lowest by Ireland at Lords and they had never lost by an innings there before.

MCC had seven new players. The two notable ones were G Goonesena, and PI Pocock. Goonesena was 36 years old and from Ceylon. He had captained Cambridge to an innings win in 1957 and scored 211. In four Varsity matches he took 26 wickets with leg breaks and googlies. Pocock was the Surrey off-spinner. The day after this match ended he was selected to go to the West Indies with MCC.

Ireland had sent MCC in to bat. Murray and Davis scored briskly off Leng who was frequently no balled. O'Riordan was hostile and bowled Davis who was trying to glance. 18-1-10. Murray and Day went slowly on a greenish wicket. Hunter tried himself and then Monteith. 50 went up in 75 minutes. In Monteith's first over Hunter caught Murray at extra cover. 59-2-25. MacLaurin joined Day and by lunch (taken after 135 minutes batting) the score was 97-2. It seemed slow but later events proved the batsmen right. Soon after lunch Day was caught behind off O'Riordan. 103-3-37.

Now came Stevenson who was in good form and one wished he were once again playing for Ireland. O'Riordan went off after another long spell. MacLaurin went to his 50 in 108 minutes. Stevenson hit Monteith for a straight six and then, at 3 pm, Anderson ran out MacLaurin from a direct throw from cover. 172-4-56. Duffy was given a try but Stevenson and Goonesena saw 200 up at 3:23 pm. Then Monteith dropped Stevenson on a caught and bowled chance. Stevenson reached 53 just afterwards, scored in 90 minutes. Then, sweeping at Duffy, he was bowled. 232-5-58. 10 runs later Lomax was caught at long-on off Monteith. O'Riordan and Leng came back but it was Anderson's throw from cover that took the next wicket - that of Goonesena who had been forcing the pace. Pocock, caught by the captain at extra cover, gave O'Riordan his 100th wicket for Ireland. It was his 32nd match and he was the 6th bowler to reach the 100 wicket mark.

At tea MCC declared at 264-8, made in 255 minutes. O'Riordan's 3-39 in 24 overs was hostile bowling. In 34 overs between tea and close of play Ireland were all out for 59. The trouble began in Bailey's third over. He had McCall caught at slip off a fast rising ball, and the last ball moved from leg and took Pigot's off stump. Pocock relieved Temple after he had bowled five overs. At 14 two more wickets fell. Bailey brought one from off to bowl Martin and Pocock caught and bowled O'Brien, who failed to use his feet. At 19-4 Goonesena came on for the Bailey (who had figures of 11-5-6-3). Duffy dabbed one from him to slip and Anderson swept the ball on to his wicket. Hunter became Goonesena's second victim, a good catch by Day at extra cover. Monteith was out (second ball) in the same over. He cut a short one and Murray took his third good slip catch. This was 35-8! O'Riordan and Colhoun added 22 in 20 minutes. Bailey came on for Goonesena and trimmed Colhoun's off bail. Goonesena changed ends and had O'Riordan LBW for 14, the only score over 10.

Next morning came the follow-on. In Bailey's first over Pocock dropped Pigot at third slip, thus Pigot escaped a pair. McCall hit the next ball over slips for four. After 40 minutes 28 had been scored when Pigot was LBW to a straight one. Lomax relieved Temple and two overs yielded 20, 19 to McCall who at this stage had not faced Bailey. McCall gave slip a chance off Lomax. Pocock replaced Lomax and Lomax went on for Bailey. After 65 minutes O'Brien played a tentative half-cock off Pocock and was caught by Murray. 47-2-1. Goonesena came on and got two wickets in his third over. Anderson spooned one to short mid-wicket and Duffy did not get his bat sufficiently out of the way when not playing a stroke. 66-4. In his next over McCall rushed at the leg-spinner and was stumped. 73-5-44. McCall had scored 44 in 100 minutes.

Bailey and Temple came back and Temple had O'Riordan caught at slip off a short rising ball. Lunch came with the score at 88-7. The slow bowlers opened the bowling after lunch and Monteith was out at once. He was bowled trying to pull a short ball from Pocock. Seven runs later Goonesena bowled Martin with a googly - Martin batted late due to being unwell. Murray showed he was human by dropping Hunter off Pocock. Hunter put up 100 by hitting Goonesena to long-off for six. Hunter now batted very well while Colhoun presented a dead bat. 48 were added in 40 minutes. Then Bailey was recalled. Hunter hit him for a four and a single but he bowled Colhoun with the third ball and Leng with the last. Hunter was left 46 not out, scored in just over 100 minutes. In two successive MCC against Ireland matches JA Bailey has now taken 20 wickets for 84 runs in 75.3 overs!