At the call of time Ireland were still five runs short of making Scotland bat again, having followed on for the first time against Scotland since 1929. The match closely resembled that of two years ago on the same ground except the positions were reversed. Ireland's Ill luck with the toss continued, now they had 1 win in 14 in 1986. This factor probably determined how the match would go, although the pitch was never spiteful.

Scotland had three players new to the match. They were Philip, a Scotsman who had spent his youth in Australia, Burnett and wicket-keeper Fleming. Ireland had to do without Dennison (work commitments) and Milling (injured). Cohen was recalled for Vincent, Harrison was preferred to Lewis and James McBrine came in for Milling. James is a twin of Alexander, better known as "Junior" McBrine and twins have never before played for Ireland and brothers, together in the same team, not since the Macdonalds in 1939.

The match was delayed for four hours due to a very wet ground. Three hours playing time was lost but 90 minutes of this was made up by extending the times on the first two days. At 2:47 PM Scotland got away to a brisk start and, through Philip and Donald, had 50 up in the 17th over. There were a few near misses for run outs, chiefly through Junior McBrine's left-handed throws from short mid-wicket. The stand was worth 88 in 32 overs when Junior bowled Donald for 29. Swan came in and spent almost 2 hours making 30 so bad was his timing. Philip, playing very well and driving anything overpitched, reached 50 in 101 minutes. Tea was taken at 5 PM after 43 overs with the score on 113-1, Philip 72, Swan 6.

Swan gave an awkward chance to Jackson when 17 and a straightforward one to Cohen at cover when 26. The latter was not too expensive. 10 runs later, with the score on 186 and after a 98 run stand Corlett had Swan LBW. By this time Philip was 116 having reached a very fine chanceless century in just over three hours. Russell had been in 30 minutes for 1 when Scotland accepted a bad light offer at 7:24 PM, six minutes before the close. Philip was now 142 and had put on 30 with Russell. The score, after 84 overs, was 216-2. Harrison had bowled his off spin during most of the last session, conceding only 27 runs in 12 overs.

Play resumed at 10:30 AM on Sunday. A McBrine and Halliday bowled. Philip added 3 to make the highest score for Scotland against Ireland in Scotland. At 219 he mis hooked A McBrine to the latter's twin at deep square leg. Philip had played extremely well for 279 minutes and faced the same number of balls. He hit 17 fours, mostly perfect off drives. Brown joined Russell. The latter, when 2 with the score on 224, gave Jackson a stumping chance off Halliday. There was no relief for the Irish bowlers and the fourth wicket pair added 50 in 56 minutes.

The new ball was taken at once when it was available after 100 overs with the score on 249-3. Nine overs later and 20 runs to the total Corlett bowled Russell for 24 made in 103 minutes. Two overs later from Corlett he had Burnett LBW. 273-5. Again, after a two over break, Corlett had Moir LBW at 285. Corlett had taken 3-11 in 29 deliveries. Success stopped for Ireland at this point when Duthie joined Brown. In an hour up to lunch 54 more were added. Brown went to 50 just before lunch in 148 minutes having been dropped at deep square leg by Warke off Garth when 43 and the total 308. In the 165 minute morning session Ireland bowled 51 overs off which Scotland only scored 123 runs. The score at lunch was 339-7, Brown 53, Duthie 30.

After lunch A McBrine and Halliday bowled 14 more overs off which 57 more runs were scored for the loss of Brown's wicket. He was out at 376, bowled by McBrine for 74 in exactly 3 hours. His stand with Duthie added 91 in 87 minutes. Ker came in and was missed by A McBrine, running in from deep square leg, when 2. Duthie reached his first 50 for Scotland in 96 minutes and when he was 54 and Ker 7 Scotland declared at 2:34 PM having made 396-7 off 149 overs. Ireland bowled at close to 20 overs per hour but Scotland, as usual, scored a slow pace - 44 runs per 100 deliveries. Corlett's 4-113 in 40 overs was fine bowling. A McBrine had 3-64 in 23 overs and Halliday was unlucky to go wicketless. In 65 overs on the second day Scotland made 180 runs.

There were 262 minutes left on the second day when Warke and Masood set out to reach at least 247, the follow-on figure. Masood was out without scoring to the sixth ball he faced. He "waved" at Duthie, Burnett juggled at slip and wicket-keeper Fleming dived to take the catch. It was Masood's second 0 in 34 innings. Cohen came in and had a life at 24 (when he was 11) when Philip dropped him at slip of Duthie. He and Warke played well up to tea (taken after 35 overs), Warke being 43 and Cohen 24, and the score 72-1. Donald had bowled six overs for 5 runs at this point.

At 80, Stevenson (who bowled off spin) had Cohen caught at slip for 29. Donald then tore the heart out of the Irish innings. With swing and cut and considerable accuracy he took 3 for 2 in 19 balls. He was unlucky not to do more and ended the day with 3-17 in 21 overs. Garth was bowled for 1 with the total on 81, Warke LBW for 47 with the total on 82 and Prior caught at first slip for 1 with the total on 89. 80-1 had become 89-5. Harrison and Halliday slowly retrieved the situation. 100 came up in the 53rd over and the pair added 27 in 49 minutes.

Moir, slow left-arm and 6'8" tall, returned to the attack. Just back after some years with Derbyshire he took the next three wickets in 19 balls. The first of these was his 200th first class wicket but only his fifth for Scotland. Harrison was caught at short leg for 13 with the score on 116. Next ball A McBrine was deceived by Moir's faster arm ball and was bowled. With the score on 130 Halliday (15) went to another short-leg catch. James McBrine arrived for his first innings for Ireland with 30 minutes to go. He settled down, hit a four, and was still there, 14 not out, at the close. Corlett had defended very well for an hour and was 12 not out. The score at close of play was 157-8 in 78 overs. The pitch had begun to help spin but Donald, at medium pace, was Ireland's destroyer.

The last day's play was from 10:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Ireland had to bat through to the end. They did so- just! The first objective was to reach 247 or get near to it in as long a time as possible. The last 2 wickets occupied 40 minutes and 29 runs were scored, in 13.4 overs. Moir held one end. Duthie started at the other and then gave way to Ker. Corlett and James McBrine defended well and hit the loose ball (Corlett hit four threes). After 52 invaluable runs were put on in 63 minutes of the partnership, Moir bowled Corlett round his legs for 23 with the score on 182. Ker bowled Jackson at 186 and James McBrine was 27 not out in 73 minutes - a great start to his International career. Moir had 4-53 in 23 overs.

Four hours remained and the deficit was 210 when Warke opened, this time with Cohen. Burnett shared the new ball with Ker but it was Duthie who took the first wicket in the 14th over, when he clean bowled Warke for 10. 23-1-10. Warke's entire first-class career has been five matches against Scotland. His scores have been 4, 63 and 45, 54, 63 and 144*, 47 and 10. This is 432 runs, at an average of 61.71. Masood came next and waved about and hit three fours and then ran himself out. Cohen played a ball to square leg, Masood advanced but there was no run and he failed to get back before Duthie's throw hit the unguarded stumps at the bowler's end. 35-2-12.

Moir came on for the 24th over. Cohen fell in his second over, Russell falling forward at short leg to take a catch. The score at lunch was 46-3 (off 27 overs), Garth 3, Prior 0. Neither lasted long. Garth snicked Moir to the wicket-keeper at 53, and Prior, after three fours, top edged a sweep off Stevenson also to the wicket-keeper. At 62-5 with 158 minutes left and the deficit still 148, all seemed lost.

Corlett then joined Harrison in a match saving partnership. The former hit two fours and knocked Stevenson out of the attack. Moir was persisted with throughout except for changing ends. Ker, Donald and Duthie had stints before Stevenson returned. The field was kept with close catchers in search of wickets and runs counted for little as far as Scotland were concerned. Harrison began to exploit the empty outfield after he settled in while Corlett played in a more defensive vein. 100 came up in the 41st over, 150 in the 58th. Harrison went to 50 in 86 minutes, hitting a six off Stevenson to do so. The 64th over was the first of the last hour with the score at 175-5. The first ball of the third over, bowled by Duthie, was short. Harrison miscued his pull to Brown at short mid-wicket. 180-6-68. Harrison had batted admirably for 110 minutes with a six and seven fours. The 118 partnership in 104 minutes for the sixth wicket was a record against Scotland, beating the 101 by O'Riordan and Corlett (again!) 10 years before.

18 overs now remained. Halliday saw five of them out before being LBW to Moir, playing no stroke. Enter James McBrine again. Again he made no mistake and faced 36 balls and scored two runs of one hit. Corlett was left 44 not out in 159 minutes facing 149 balls. The match was saved. Corlett deserved his cut glass bowl as Ireland's man of the match - four wickets out of seven and 67 runs for once out.

At close of play Halliday announced his resignation as captain, but would continue to play if selected. He had done the job 25 times since 1981 with four wins and 10 defeats. He had won only six tosses! This was John Prior's 37th and last match (he emigrated). He scored 1134 runs at an average of 25.77. Who will ever forget his sole century against Warwickshire in 1982, scored off 51 balls in 51 minutes. This, the last match of the season, also proved to be the only international match played by James McBrine.