A very sad and traumatic event caused the annual three-day first class match -v- Scotland to be abandoned. Hugh Stevenson, Chairman of the Scottish Selectors, had a heart attack on the Scottish coach as it entered the ground on the first morning. On arrival in hospital he died. The Scottish players were too shocked to play on the first day. A 55 overs per side cap match was arranged for the second day and a 40 overs per side non cap match was played on the third day. The dinner on the first night in the United Services Club went ahead with tributes being paid to Hugh by the two Presidents, Alec O'Riordan and Jack Kennedy.
Molins was restored to the original Irish team for this match with Gillespie dropping out, Then Smyth (unavailable), Eagleson and Patterson (both injured) all dropped out. Gillespie was to come back in but he too was injured on the eve of the match. Moore and Hoey were recalled and Peter Davy, the Pembroke batsman, was given his first cap. Texas Instruments sponsored the match.
Rathmines had not been used for an International since the match -v-Lancashire in 1989. The square had been restored and was excellent. However the pitch for the match started too dry in a heat wave and was, perhaps, over rolled. It took spin too early.
Scotland won the toss and batted with their old established pair of Patterson and Philip. Ireland's makeshift opening bowlers were Moore and Lewis, Patterson had two early escapes off successive balls he faced. When nine, at 18, Ogilby, standing back, missed him off Moore. Benson missed him, at gully, off the first ball of Lewis's next over. 37 was up in 10 overs when Hoey and Harrison were given a bowl. This reduced the run rate and 50 came up in over 16. Harrison claimed the first wicket at 72 in the 23rd over when Philip was caught at deep square leg. 72-1-33. Reifer came in and at 77 Ogilby again missed Patterson off Harrison's bowling. Graham came on for Hoey but 100 was up in over 31. By lunch (37 overs) Doak and Hoey were bowling with the score an ominous 128 for one, Patterson 56, Reifer 24.
Two wickets fell quickly after lunch, both to Graham. Reifer was lbw for 26 at 131 and Patterson (58) caught by Benson at deep gully at 134. Smith and Salmond were now together. 150 was up in over 43. Then Salmond gave Graham a very difficult caught and bowled chance which the bowler could not hold. At 160 Graham gained his revenge when he bowled Salmond trying to glide to third man. 160 for four in 46 overs. In the last nine overs, bowled by Graham, Moore, Hoey and Lewis Scotland scored 74 runs at a rate of eight per over and lost three more wickets. At 189 Lewis caught Williamson off Moore diving to his left at mid-on, after Graham's last over had yielded 13 to Smith. 200 up after 51 overs.
At 207 Davies played on to Hoey, the ball screwing back on to the stumps. Smith dominated the latter part of the innings. He hit Moore for 14 in over 53 to reach 65 with 11 fours off only 49 balls. Lewis bowled him swinging at the first ball of the 54th over. 12 runs came off the last 11 balls and Ireland's task was just over four runs per over. Graham had three for 50 in his 11 overs. Harrison, as usual, was the most economical with one for 23. Hoey also did well at one for 39.
Ireland started in disastrous fashion losing three wickets for 20 and being only 74 for four after 25 overs, and 103 for five after 34 overs. The arrival of Doak changed the game. With three sixes and a four in his 27 ball 43 he left 35 to be scored in the last six overs with Graham and Harrison to do the job. Sadly they were both out in the 50th over. There was still hope with 14 needed in two overs and nine in one. Ogilby, looking for a six in the last over, was caught at mid-wicket and a match, which had latterly become exciting, was lost by eight runs.
Warke played a maiden to Williamson. Gourlay took a wicket with his second ball when Molins chased a wide to give a catch at the wicket. Davy, in his first innings for Ireland, defended 14 balls before losing patience. He mishooked Williamson to mid-on. At 20 Lewis flashed at Williamson and was caught at the wicket in the 11th over.
Warke and Benson set about restoring order and before tea (25 overs) Scotland tried four more bowlers including three spinners Tennant, Sheridan and Govan. Benson scored quite briskly and 50 was up in over 18. He scored 40 in 51 balls (six fours) when he tried to pull a short ball in the last over before tea. It kept low and bowled him. 74-4-40, Warke 30. This was a big blow. Warke and Harrison tried to keep the score moving after tea. They put on 29 and saw 100 up in over 33. At 103 Warke was caught low at short mid wicket for 41 off 96 balls. Enter Doak! Doak started his real onslaught in over 39 from Govan. He hit two sixes, one over extra cover. Two overs later he hit two more off Williamson, one being a two plus four overthrows. 52 runs came in overs 36 to 42. It ended too soon. Doak came down the wicket to the last ball of Williamson's next over (the 43rd) and was bowled after a stand of 64 with Harrison. 167-6-43.
Graham and Harrison brought the score to 174 after 46 overs, only seven runs in three overs. Then Graham, in particular, attacked again. 12 off over 47, seven off over 48 and seven more off over 49. Then both fell in one over. Graham tried a second run to third man and narrowly failed. Three balls later Harrison was stumped off a Reifer wide. Hoey met a similar fate off the same bowler two overs later. Moore and Ogilby did their best but failed by eight runs.
Next day Ireland suffered a humiliating defeat in a forty overs match. Scotland were held to 154 for 9 (Reifer 67, Lewis 3-24, Graham 3-22). Ireland's reply was 98 in 32.2 overs. Benson made 44, Tennant took 5 for 19. The innings declined from 26 for one to 55 for eight.