The first limited overs match played by Ireland at Lord's resulted in an easy win for the visitors. MCC were bowled out in the 50th over after being 125 for three after 30 overs with the Marshall twins both batting well and taking singles at will. Then, in the remaining 20 overs, Ireland struck back and took the last seven wickets for 87 runs. In reply, Bray made a great effort to make a Lord's century, of which more later, and the runs were hit off after an early wicket, Molins, and then two stands of 103 and 92. It was the first Irish win at Lord's since 1987, which was a two-day match, since when there was one defeat and five draws. There is now a visit to Lord's only once in four years. In 2001, prior to going to Toronto, three limited overs matches were played at Shenley, MCC winning the first two and losing the third. The three-day match in Cork in 2002 was won by Ireland.

Ireland fielded the same eleven as the previous day's win at Arundel. Of that XI, Botha, Bray, Coetzee, the Mooney brothers and White had not played at Lords before. Molins and McCallan were on their third visit. Molins had scored 50s on each of his previous visits with Ireland, McCallan had one such. Another 50 from Molins would celebrate his 50th cap. Giles Toogood was once again captain of MCC as he had been in 1999. He had with him two test players, HJH Marshall (New Zealand) and Peter Such (England). The former's twin, JAH Marshall had played for Northern Districts, Newell for Glamorgan and Kruis for Griqualand West.

The O'Brien brothers, Kevin (on MCC ground staff) and Niall (despite a broken thumb) acted as 12th men, the former for MCC, the latter for Ireland. The day was hot and sunny and the pitch, as usual, was very much to one side of the square, the Tavern side.

MCC were sent in to avail of any early-morning moisture and perhaps in view of the success when bowling first at Arundel the previous day. Mooney removed Tarrant, clean bowled, in his second over. 7-1-1. Newell joined Dallaway and, in 10 overs, they put on 49 runs. Eagleson bowled four overs for 20 and John Mooney replaced him while Paul Mooney bowled eight successive overs. Newell hit five fours, only one of them off Paul Mooney. Dallaway hit 14 and then six off Paul Mooney to the short mid-wicket boundary. 50 came up in over 11. Then Paul Mooney, in his seventh over, bowled Newell. The ball cut back but Newell should have been playing forward. 56-2-27.

Hamish Marshall came next and hit Paul Mooney for a four to square leg to get off the mark. Botha came on for Paul Mooney, whose eight overs cost 26 with two wickets. For the 20th over McCallan replaced John Mooney. McCallen's third ball sucked Dallaway forward. He was not at the pitch and was caught on the short cover boundary. 76-3-30. James Marshall joined his brother. The latter had good luck and Ireland bad luck when a no-ball from Botha was caught at cover. Hamish Marshall was 15, and he went on to 46, and the score would have been 78 for four. Then the brothers put on 60 in 12 overs. Five fours were hit, four of them by Hamish, but there were 20 brilliantly run singles in the stand. 100 was up in over 24, the halfway score was 108 and the 30 overs score was 125. So, 250/270 looked very possible unless wickets were taken. They were!

Coetzee came on for over 31. James Marshall scored a two and a single. Then Hamish hit two fours to backward point. The fifth ball was pitched up and went on with the arm. Hamish Marshall tried to cut and was bowled. 136-4-46. This was the start of MCC's downfall, and it was Coetzee's first wicket for Ireland. Toogood came in but was run out in over 32. James Marshall, maybe, thought his brother was still in and not the slower Toogood. Marshall hit to short mid-wicket, called, but Toogood could not beat White's throw to Bushe. 138-5-1. Bradshaw came and went quickly. 12 runs came in four overs. Then the new batsman deposited McCallan into Coetzee's hands at long-on at the Nursery end. 150-6-5.

Enter Garfield Harrison, aged 42 and holder of 118 Irish caps, earned between 1983 and 1997. He is a member of MCC and was playing some of the days cricket member must play every year. He played very well and joined James Marshall in a 49 run stand in 10 overs. Both players faced the same number of balls but Harrison got 25 of the runs to Marshall's 19. White replaced McCallan for over 40 and Harrison hit his first ball for four through mid-off. Coetzee's first ball of the 41st over was a full toss which Marshall hit to square leg for six. Three overs later a four, just wide of mid-on, gave Marshall 50 off 82 balls when the score was 183. Harrison hit Coetzee for a six over wide mid-off and that over, the 45th, cost 10.

Then the wickets began to fall again. In the 46th over Marshall sallied down the pitch to White, missed, and was stumped. 199-7-51. Kruis played across the next ball and was lbw. 199-8-0. Botha replaced Coetzee and Such helped Harrison to add 11 in 20 balls with Such facing most of them. The last over, bowled by White, saw MCC bowled out. The first ball was hit by Harrison to wide mid-wicket half way out where Gillespie took the catch. 210-9-29. Four balls later Kotkamp had a wild swing across the ball and was bowled.

Ireland used seven bowlers, only one of whom bowled 10 overs. This was McCallan's 2-36 bringing his wicket tally to 99 to go with 2000 runs. White was the best bowler, 4-28 in 5.5 overs. He took the last four wickets in 14 balls for six runs.

The only blip in the Irish innings was the dismissal of Molins with the first ball of the fourth over. He was bowled by Kotkamp. 11-1-5. This brought Botha to join Bray and soon they were scoring freely off Kruis and Kotkamp. Botha's first four scoring shots were fours, three of them off Kruis. Bray was not far behind and his fourth four brought up 50 in only 12 overs. Toogood tried himself and Such, both off spinners, but to no avail. Botha continued his four hitting with pulls and drives. He added a six to this, hitting Toogood over wide mid-on. At the end of the 20th over the score was exactly 100 and, in this over, Botha got to 51 out of 98 having faced only 42 balls. He had hit a six and nine fours. At this point Bray was 35 off 66 balls.

Harrison's off spin replaced Toogood for the 22nd over. The first ball of his second over was driven to cover by Botha where Dallaway took a good catch. The 103 run stand came in 20 overs. 114-2-55. White came in and saw Bray reach 50 out of 119 in Newell's second over. He had faced 92 balls. In Harrison's next over Bray hit two towering sixes and another four to wide mid-wicket in Harrison's fourth over. 150 was up in the over 30. Kotkamp came back but 10 came off his first over, and the 31st, including a cover driven four, at great speed, by Bray.

After 35 overs the score was 175. Bray was 80 and so needed 20 to get a much coveted century at Lords while 38 were needed to win. That should have been some discussion and attempt to get Bray his century for the match was surely won. White was now 21. After over 36 White was 33 but Bray had only advanced to 82. The score was now 190. Now Bray needed 18 out of 23. He tried to do this. Kotkamp bowled the 37th over in which Bray square cut and pulled two fours. Next over he square cut Kruis for four but had to defend the next four balls. Bray was now 94 and eight runs were needed to win.

Dallaway came in for what seemed like a "surrender" over as he had not bowled hitherto. White took a first ball single, but, sadly, two balls later Bray got out trying to hook the ball too near him. It went up to backward square leg and the wicket-keeper ran 20 yards and dived to catch it. Bray's 94 came in 134 balls with two sixes and 12 fours. His one mistake got him out. Gillespie joined White and the match finished with a bye off the last ball of the 40th over. White's 41 came off 50 balls with only one four. In all, 106 of Ireland's 213 runs came in boundaries and the winning runs came at more than five per over.