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Ireland International Matches
Ireland beat I Zingari by an innings and 44 runs
2 Day, Phoenix Park, 20 August 1896
Scorecard
Derek Scott

After two hours play on the second morning this match finished in an overwhelming victory for Ireland. The I Zingari team was weak and was easily beaten. The batting of Comyn and WD Hamilton and the bowling of RH Lambert and B Hamilton were too much for the visitors. LH Gwynn was not available for Ireland and TC Ross was only a substitute so strong was this Irish team. The match was originally fixed for three days but the day before the match the I Zingari captain (CC Clarke) informed the Irish captain (WD Hamilton) that I Zingari could only play over two days due to their having to attend a function at Vice-Regal Lodge. A heated discussion followed! The "Irish Independent" criticised I Zingari to such an extent that at the end of the 1st day's play Clarke agreed to the Match being played over three days. This was a fruitless gesture as it was then obvious the match would finish on the second day.

The weather was threatening on the first day but the crowd was good. Each side completed an innings and Ireland led by 162 runs. There was brilliant batting by Comyn and WD Hamilton who put on 201 for the 6th wicket and RH Lambert took 7 for 40 when I Zingari were dismissed for 165. At 11.30 a.m. Comyn and SD Lambert (on debut) opened the innings for Ireland to the bowling of AH Evans (fast right arm) and EM Dowson (slow left arm). Runs came fast on an easy wicket. HB Chinnery came on at 42 and had SD Lambert lbw at 57. He had made 22. Then Evans had B Hamilton (8) caught at 70 and he bowled Smith (6) at 78. Comyn was playing very well although Dowson puzzled him a few times. With RH Lambert in the 100 went up. This had taken 85 minutes. With 100 still on the board Evans yorked Lambert for 14 and at the same score Evans bowled an unconfident JM Meldon. Then came WD Hamilton and a magnificent stand ensued. The bowling was completely collared and lunch was taken at 165-5 (Comyn 70 Hamilton 40). On the resumption the 200 went up at 2.55 and then both scored at a terrific pace. Comyn completed 100 out of 210 in about 2½ hours. The 3rd hundred took only 40 minutes. Comyn, after completing his century, hit out at everything and his brilliance has seldom been equalled. Six times he hit Evans clean out of the ground. At 301 Chaplin was tried and Comyn put his 2nd ball to Leveson-Gower at mid-on. Comyn had been missed at 54, 60 and 66 but in spite of this it was a most brilliant innings with 21 fours and lasted 3½ hours. The stand realised 201 runs. Browning came in but with 7 added Dowson got one past WD Hamilton and he was out for 93. It was an innings of a very bright and attractive character with only 2 blemishes - both by the wicket keeper. Hamilton batted for 2 hours and hit 15 fours. The remaining 3 wickets gave no trouble and at 4.05 Ireland were out for 327. Evans with 5 for 96 in 32.2 overs was the best I Zingari bowler. He started well but then became somewhat ragged. Dowson (2-97) bowled better than his figures suggest. Chaplin with 2-6 in 4 overs, including Comyn, was most useful.

When I Zingari went in RH Lambert and B Hamilton opened the bowling and 6 wickets were down for 55. Lambert was in deadly form and at this stage had 5 for 15 - one caught and bowled and 4 clean bowled. Clarke and Chaplin stepped into the breach and by plucky cricket improved the prospects. Slow at the start both subsequently hit freely and they added 99 together. Clarke went first, bowled by Harrington, for 47 in 85 minutes. Chaplin soon followed, caught by wicket keeper Browning off Lambert, also for 47. The score was now 160-8. Harrington and Lambert shared the last 2 wickets and I Zingari were out for 165, just before time. The Irish fielding was splendid, but for two mistakes by Harrington.

Two hours play on the second morning finished the match. Due to rain the game did not start until 12.30 and only C Bromley-Martin (39) got more than 20. Roberts was caught off the first ball of the innings bowled by B Hamilton. The second wicket stand of 29 by Chinnery and Leveson-Gower was the best of the innings. At 65 a strange feat occurred when Harrington, a poor fielder, caught two men off successive balls from Hamilton. The last three wickets all fell at 118. Hamilton (27.2-7-51-6) and RH Lambert (28-4-60-4) bowled unchanged. Lambert's first innings figures had been 27.1-16-40-7 so, in all, he took 11 for 100 in the match. This was WD Hamilton's last game for Ireland. He captained the side and was unlucky to be out when only 7 short of a "farewell" century.