This was the Centenary match between Ireland in Scotland and was a disaster for Ireland. The result of the 1888 match was in fact reversed! There was no Irish excuse as the team batted very badly on a pitch which started damp (Scotland were sent in) and developed into a slow turner but was not a vicious pitch at any time. Luck went against Ireland in many ways but overall the match should have been easily drawn - 15 minutes and a minimum of 20 overs remained at the end. Ireland selected a panel of 12 including P Wallace, a fast left-arm bowler from St Johnston, the first from this club (Milling was not available). Garth and McBrine cried off the 12 and were replaced by Rea and C Magowan, a slow left armer from Bangor. The latter was left out of the 11 that finally played. Halliday, not available against Wales, came back in. Masood was suspended.

Scotland introduced three players new to the match, McGurk, Bee and Patterson, the latter of whom scored a century in this match on his first-class debut as did I L Philip in 1986.

The start was delayed until 1:30 PM, due to wet conditions. Nelson and Wallace bowled to Philip and McGurk. The start was brisk and the outfield was not as slow as it seemed. Halliday replaced Nelson for the 19th over and in that over 50 came up. Thompson came on in a double change and it was he, with the score at 72, who had Philip (27) caught at long leg. Swan came in and the Irish players were confident that he was out to a catch off bat and pad to Cohen off Thompson before he was 10. However he was not given.

At 3:39 PM there was an eight minute rain break. Halliday and Harrison were now in tandem. The second 50 took only 15 overs. McGurk got to 50 in 113 minutes but was LBW to a Halliday full toss with the total on 112. 112-2-63. Patterson came in and saw Swan (then on 18) missed by Lewis at first slip off Harrison with the total on 114. More rain saw the players off at 4:01 PM (the score then was 120-2 off 39 overs) and tea was taken. A direct throw which hit the stumps seemed to find Patterson out but again the "rub of the green" went against Ireland. 150 came up in 47.1 overs and Swan went to a rapid 50 in only 74 minutes. Halliday had bowled 20 overs for 70 and eventually Nelson and Wallace were recalled.

200 came up in 61 overs. Swan and Patterson had put on 95 in 84 minutes when Nelson bowled Swan, driving off bat and pad. He had made 77 in two hours. 207-3-77. In the next over Wallace had Snodgrass caught at the wicket off a wide ball. 210-4-2. Patterson (35) was now joined by Smith with 41 minutes to go to close of play. They took the score to 241-4, Patterson 48, Smith 18. A Centenary Banquet hosted by the local council was held on Saturday evening, with 80 attending. The Past Presidents of ICU (23 of them) presented a small solid silver cup for the annual fixture. Plaques and paperweights were also presented as mementos.

Sunday's play was from 11 AM to 7 PM. Ireland's fortunes did not change. Scotland went on until they were all out 36 minutes after lunch for 396, adding 155 in 42 overs today. Thompson and Wallace were first to bowl and with the score at 248 Harrison put down Smith (18) at second slip off Thompson - a hard chance to his right. This brought up 250 in 78.4 overs. Patterson reached 50 in 139 minutes. Nelson was recalled and in his second over had Smith LBW. 286-5-40. The stand had put on 76 in 105 minutes. With Morton in 300 was up in 93.1 overs. At 310 Morton backed away to court and was bowled by Nelson. 310-6-7. One run later Patterson (then on 85) gave Nelson an un-accepted difficult caught and bowled chance. Halliday had now returned and had Govan stumped. 319-7-4. Haggo arrived and saw Patterson to his century on his first-class debut with the score on 337. Next ball he was caught by Cohen at deep mid-on off the bowling of Nelson. 337-8-100. Patterson hit 12 fours, batted for 259 minutes and faced 201 deliveries.

With Ker (3) and Haggo (18) together lunch came at 351-8 off 108 overs. Wallace and Thompson shared a new ball after lunch. Wallace bowled Ker at 360 but, in seven overs 45 runs were scored, 36 for the last wicket in 19 minutes by Haggo and Bee. Halliday had to be recalled. He saw Haggo dropped by Nelson on the mid-wicket boundary but two balls later Haggo was stumped for 45 made in an hour. It was a fine Scottish performance with five players getting to 40 or more. Nelson ended with 4-100 in 32 overs and Halliday 3-97 in 30 overs. In 116 overs bowled, Harrison only bowled 12 and Thompson 17. Milling, Garth and McBrine were all missed.

Scotland were intent on an innings win with, now, only 4 ½ sessions of play left. The follow-on mark was 247 when Warke and Cohen faced Ker and Bee at 2:45 PM. Warke hit the first ball for four. The third hit him on the foot and McGurk made a juggling catch at short leg. Warke was given out. 4-1-4. Cohen (5) followed with the score on 11, bowled by Ker with a good ball which "turned" Cohen. Vincent (8), playing well, was brilliantly caught at gully low and left-handed by Morton when he cut at Bee. Harrison and Lewis slowly tried to retrieve the situation. Smith (seam) and Govan (off spin) came on. Lewis (17) played well for 48 minutes. Then he lost his concentration, rushed at Govan and was stumped. 50-4-17.

With Rea (0) and Harrison (11) together tea came at 50-4 in 25 minutes. Morton (slow left-arm) joined Govan after tea. In the third over after tea Rea hit a ball into the covers and set off. There was no run and Rea could not get back when Harrison refused. 50-5-0. Harrison and Thompson tried again to restore order. 25 were added in 43 minutes. Then Govan took wickets with the first, third and fifth balls of the 42nd over. Harrison (25 in 131 minutes) was caught at the wicket cutting; Wallace was bowled; and Jackson caught at silly mid-off. 75 for 8.

Thompson and Halliday now proceeded to show up their betters. They put on 61 in 78 minutes taking no risks but not neglecting scoring opportunities. 100 came up in 52.3 overs. With the score on 95, Halliday (then 10) was given a life off Govan when Swan dropped a catch at short mid-on. With 12 minutes to go Thompson, unwisely, took on two deep fielders behind the bowler and was caught for 38, scored in 126 minutes. 136-9-38. Nelson held on to the close when the score was 143-9, Halliday 22, Nelson 5.

The third day was sunny and play resumed at 10:30 AM. For half an hour the last pair held out and, indeed, added 25 runs with Ker and Govan bowling. Bee was recalled and his first ball, a full toss, bowled Nelson with the total on 168. Nelson had made 22 in 45 minutes with four fours. Halliday was 29 not out in 124 minutes of intense concentration which was a great credit to him. On Saturday he had celebrated his 40th birthday and passed Colhoun's record of 87 caps. Govan took 4-38 in 27 overs but any good player should have been able to stay in, so slow was the turn.

Slow rolling of the pitch caused a 15 minute break between the innings. It was now 11:15 AM and close was scheduled for 6 PM. The deficit was now 228. The start by Warke and Cohen against Ker and Bee was quick, 53 in 40 minutes off which Warke was 35 including four fours - a stream of brilliant strokes. Govan appeared for the 10th over and Smith for the 11th. Smith took a wicket at once having Cohen caught at forward short leg. 43-1-7. Cohen's misery against Scotland now extended to 98 runs in 10 innings.

The real disaster began at 11:55 AM with the score at 69-1. Four wickets fell in 16 balls for just two runs. Vincent (16) was caught at the wicket on the first ball of Govan's sixth over. 69-2-16. Four balls later Harrison was caught at slip. 69-3-0. Smith nipped in with a wicket in the next over - the vital one of Warke, brilliantly caught at extra cover by Patterson. His 42 had come in 79 minutes. 71-4-42. Govan's next over accounted for Lewis caught off bat and pad at silly mid-off. Lunch, at 12:46 PM, was taken with the score at 76-5, Rea 1 Thompson 4. The pair went along well for 45 minutes after lunch. Morton came on with the total at 95 and 100 came up in the 37th over. At 109 Govan had Thomson caught at short mid-on. 109-6-14. Enter Halliday. He and Rea put up the best stand of the innings - 61 in 86 minutes.

The stand was not broken until within eight minutes of the tea interval. The bowling was switched as Bee was recalled and Snodgrass given a few overs. Morton eventually bowled Halliday whose 26 occupied 86 minutes. He had made 55 in the match in 210 minutes for once out. He had shown up the early order and indicated how easy it was to stay in. 170-7-26. Tea came with the score at 171-7 with Rea 47 and Nelson 0. Rea reached a gallant 50 in 159 minutes. Then he and Nelson were warned by the Umpires for "possible" time wasting. This seemed to unnerve Rea who hit a Morton full toss to mid-on. 181-8-53. Nelson and Wallace were quickly dismissed - the latter for "a pair" in his first match.

The end came with 15 minutes and 20 overs to spare. Govan had 5-54 in 29.5 overs and 9-92 in the match. It was a sorry display not be able to bat out 4 ½ sessions over 2 full innings. Patterson won the Man-of-the-Match Award. 1965 was the last year Ireland had lost by an innings to Scotland. The new solid silver cup stayed in Scotland who took a 19-18 lead in the series after 67 matches.