Despite his runs in Cork, TA Parker was left out of the original team. However, O'Riordan, Short and BA O'Brien all called off with leg strains. Into the team came Parker, DR Pigot and GP O'Brien of Malahide. It was the latter's first match and he got in from third substitute as JSL Mitchell was not available. He had a wonderful debut scoring 74 not out in the second innings, the best since HC McCall who scored 81 against MCC in 1964. JD Monteith became captain for the first time.
Until near the close of play on the first day Ireland played badly and were in a poor position. At one time they had been reduced to 65-6 but they then managed 160. Holland were 116-2 at one stage. Off the first ball of the match Klijn brought off a wonderful stop at mid off to prevent a four to Reith. In the second over van Osch bowled Pigot with an outswinger. 4-1-0. Harrison made six slowly and then got one that lifted a little from van Osch and was caught at the wicket by Van der Gun. Anderson lifted his first ball for six over square leg from a full toss. He then hit Onstein for three lovely fours in one over. They were two square cuts and a drive. Off the last ball of this over he played a terrible shot and was bowled. 49-3-20. At 56 O'Brien played on to Onstein off a very wide ball. At 57 Corlett was dropped off a caught and bowled chance to Onstein when he was one. The bowler retired and Lubbers was called up, illegally, to bowl one ball to finish the over. Nine runs were slowly added. Entrop bowled. Then Klijn replaced Van Osch and Reith, who was playing well, drove him "on the up" to mid-off. 65-5-27. In his next over Klijn had Parker well held lowdown at second slip by Van Laer. By lunch Corlett and Monteith had taken the score to 87-6. The stand went on to 107 when Onstein bowled Corlett (26) off his pads and, in the same over, Bekedam caught Torrens high and two-handed at short leg. As 123 Halliday got a thin edge to Onstein and Van Laer caught him at slip off the wicket-keeper. Monteith was 27 when Colhoun came in. Together they added 37 in 38 minutes Monteith hit Onstein for 13 in one over, 6-4-2-1, the single bringing up his 50 in 88 minutes A break for drinks was the undoing of Monteith. He was caught at mid-on off Klijn for 52 chanceless runs. Klijn finished with 3-14 in 10.2 overs bowling fast-ish left arm. Onstein had 4-71.
The teams in front of the pavilion at Downpatrick
In the 50 minutes up to tea Holland scored 62-1 of which Flohil made 49 in 43 minutes off 52 balls. He cut loose from the start with a series of exciting strokes. Torrens conceded 11 to him in his third and last over. Next over he cut Corlett twice for four. Monteith bowled the seventh over and restricted the flow but Flohil was 30 by then - out of 36. Parker was tried for Corlett but he conceded 16 in three overs. 50 came up in 34 minutes in the 10th over. Monteith was restricting the brilliant Flohil and got him to sky to cover in the fourth over. 61-1-49. Bekedam was patient but Trizzelaar was missed by Parker when one - a dolly catch to silly mid off from Monteith which unaccountably went down. After tea Bekedam and Trizzelaar added 32 in an hour. Halliday replaced Corlett at 88 and should have come on sooner. At 93 Monteith had Bekedam (22) LBW on the back foot playing to leg. Trizzelaar enjoyed Halliday who conceded 25 runs in his first five overs but he got Van Laer with the last ball of his fifth. He would have come off had he not got a wicket. Van Laer waltzed down the wicket and was stumped. 116-3-7. At once Harrison dropped Trizzelaar at square leg off Monteith but at 119 he was caught by Reith at slip pushing out at Halliday. 119-4-33. The close of play score was 130-4, Entrop six and Lubbers six.
There was much speculation as to what Hollands lead might be on the second day. In fact Corlett took 5-10 in 7.1 overs and Ireland led by four. Corlett bowled very fast and accurately, the wicket kept a little low and most of the batsmen were on the back foot. Monteith bowled at the other end. Entrop was bowled at 138 and Lubbers was caught behind pushing forward at 139. Van Meurs was LBW at 144 and Klijn bowled at 148. Corlett took these four wickets in successive overs for four runs in 17 balls. In the same over as Klijn, Colhoun dropped Onstein on a straightforward chance, standing back-an unusual miss. With the score still on 148 Monteith bowled van der Gun with a ball that kept low. Corlett wound up the innings at 156 by bowling Onstein with one that kept very low. His final return was 5-37 while Monteith had 3-47.
At 12.24 PM Reith and Pigot started Ireland's second innings. Reith glanced van Osch for two successive fours. Pigot almost got "a pair", nibbling at van Osch. Then Onstein bowled Pigot in his third over. He played down the wrong line. 21-1-8. Klijn and Lubbers were tried but Ireland went to lunch at 60-1, Reith 37, Harrison 15. Reith went to 50 out of 78 in 81 minutes. He lost Harrison at 88 when caught low down by Van Laer for 24. Reith got to 54 and remained there for 45 minutes! When 56 he tried to hit Onstein to leg and skied it back to the bowler. This was a valuable innings of contrasts. 106-3-56. Anderson and O'Brien now began to speed up. The former hit two full tosses from Trizzelaar for fours. Anderson went to 50 in 78 minutes and at one point scored off eight successive balls he faced. At tea he was 59, O'Brien 15 and the score was 165-3. 104 were scored in the post tea session of 115 minutes. At 173 Anderson swept a half volley from Klijn to square leg where Trizzelaar took a low two-handed catch. At 176 Corlett was LBW for 0 hooking at Lubbers. This was the last wicket to fall. In 93 minutes O'Brien and Parker added the same number of runs. Parker was dropped when two at second slip off Onstein. O'Brien brought 200 up with a late cut for four and soon went to his own 50 on debut with a cut and an off drive. He played most elegantly and was 74 not out at the end. Parker was 33 not out and the score 269-5 scored off 91 overs.
Ireland declared overnight but Holland only held out for 45.1 overs although they scored 142. The match finished 22 minutes after lunch. Torrens took a wicket in his second over when Corlett caught Flohil very well at short leg off of a forcing stroke. Torrens conceded three fours in his sixth over and gave way to Monteith. Torrens was unlucky not to get Bekedam when Parker was slow to a bat-pad chance in the gully. Van Laer came in and scored quickly. He made 43 in 44 minutes when Monteith enticed him down the wicket and had him stumped. 63-2-43. Halliday now came on for Corlett. At 72 Corlett took another fine catch dismissing Bekedam for 22 off Monteith. It was low, right-handed at short gully as the batsman pushed forward. Entrop and Trizzelaar added 20. Then Entrop was caught low at slip by Reith off Halliday. Trizzelaar and Lubbers put on 31 and Lubbers hit Monteith for six into the road. Just before lunch Anderson replaced Halliday. In his second over he had Trizzelaar stumped with his foot on the line. He had made 33 for the second time in the match.
After lunch the tail subsided in 22 minutes for 19 runs. At 127, Lubbers was caught by Reith off Monteith. Reith dived to his right and made the catch low and two-handed. As 133 Onstein was bowled by Monteith paying back, and van der Gun suffered a similar fate in Monteith's next over. Then van Meurs was caught by Parker off Anderson, a full toss driven to extra cover, taken two handed above his head. As 142 Klijn played on to Anderson. Monteith had taken 5-49 and Anderson 3-6. It was the fourth win in four games against Holland.
As the match had ended early a 20 overs a side match was played which was very entertaining. Elder replaced Torrens and scored 23 as did J Harrison. Anderson made 28. Lubbers took 3-23 and the Irish score (all-out) was 122. Holland needed 30 off the last three overs but got level and so won the match. Bushe, paying for Colhoun, missed the wicket with a rolled throw to prevent the last run.
The main match was DR Pigot's 44th and last and came within 15 days of his 47th birthday. He scored 1513 runs for Ireland at an average of 19.39.