Barbados came to encourage tourism to their island. Sir Garfield Sobers came with them and spoke at a dinner hosted by the Down and Newtownards councils. The team was a mixture of age and youth, all playing as professionals in Britain. Gordon Greenidge (108 test caps) and King (9 caps) were 42; Joel Garner was captain with 58 caps, aged 40. Alvin Greenidge, with six caps, was 37 and Alleyne was 36.

Ireland assembled 14 players. Hoey and Jackson cried off injured and Dunlop and Rutherford came in. Milling, last capped in 1988, came in for Nelson (who was not included because he was not available for Kenya in 1994). There were two matches to be played and the first match was at Comber, a new venue with a very good pitch. The match was transferred here when Downpatrick, the original choice, refused to meet certain wishes of the Sponsors and the ICU. The Sponsors were The Ulster Games, the Milk Marketing Board and the First Trust Bank.

Barbados arrived from Glasgow in the morning but they were late. The match started 30 minutes late and was reduced to 50 overs per side.

Ireland gave Lewis a captaincy chance and Warke stood down, as did Rutherford. Barbados, having won the toss, put Ireland in. Cohen and Rea opened with Estwick and Bryan bowling. The was a slow start and at 21, in the eighth over, Cohen was caught at the wicket by Gordon Greenidge off Bryan for 8. C McCrum put on 23 quickly with Rea but the latter snicked Estwick to first slip with the total on 44.

Desmond Curry of Ireland

There followed an extraordinary stand between C McCrum and Lewis. They put on 37 in 28 minutes. Of these Lewis faced 18 deliveries and failed to score! The fifth bowler tried, Coppin, had Lewis caught at square leg at the second attempt in his first over. 81-3. Curry was also out for nought caught behind off Alleyne in the next over. Lunch came after 25 overs with the total at 95-4, C McCrum 45, Dunlop 5.

After lunch there was a failure to accelerate. The McCrum-Dunlop stand of 23 took 41 minutes. Garner bowled six overs for 21 and had McCrum LBW with the total on 105. He had played very well particularly off the back foot. He batted for 92 minutes, faced 79 deliveries and hit 6x4. Dunlop batted 63 minutes, faced 46 deliveries for 16 before being caught at the wicket off Estwick with the total on 118. There were now 15.2 overs remaining in which Ireland scored 71. This was chiefly due to a delightful 51*by Harrison. Doak gave solid, if slow, support with 18*. Harrison was in for 85 minutes, faced 56 balls. He hit 7 of the 11 fours in the innings. There were 29 extras, 15 of these no balls, 9 of which were bowled by Alleyne. The latter bowled his 10 overs for 23, despite conceding the 9 no balls. Estwick bowled 10 overs for 32.

Joel Garner in action for Barbados

Alvin Greenidge and Johnson opened the Barbados innings at 4:25 PM, to the bowling of P McCrum and Milling. The start was reasonably sedate. Harrison was first change. Johnson hit him for six but, in his third over, he was caught at point just after tea with the total on 41. It was the last wicket to fall! Alvin Greenidge set about all the bowlers, of whom there were six tried, and his undefeated partnership with King of 152 won the match for Barbados with seven overs to spare. King was the more aggressive scoring 80 in 113 minutes with 3x6 and 6x4. Greenidge had 1x6 and 12x4 in 81 scored in 163 minutes. P McCrum and Harrison were the best of the bowlers. The crowd gate was £1000.