It was intended that this match be prefaced by three days of practice in Philadelphia but an invitation was accepted to play an extra match against Baltimore, 12 a side. This match was won easily but had meant no practice in Philadelphia. As was expected heavy defeat was inflicted on the Irishmen. On the first day the visitors just about held their own but the last four Philadelphian wickets added no less than 244 runs and an innings defeat was the result. There were some splendid individual performances. JB King took all 10 wickets in Ireland's first innings with his wonderful swerve bowling. Bart King was then 35 years of age and at the height of his great powers. In 1908 on the English tour King took 87 wickets in first-class matches at 11.01 runs each and headed the English bowling averages. As well as taking all 10 wickets here King, in fact, bowled Morrow, the not out batsmen, on a no-ball! Hordern, the Australian leg break and googly bowler, supported King splendidly. White scored 118 runs, his first century in Representative cricket and he held the Philadelphia innings together.

For Ireland George Morrow was the star. He batted right through the innings and completed his 50 with the number 11 at the wicket. Morrow also batted well in the second innings, and going on late took four wickets for 42. It is of interest that King and AM Wood played 17 years before against Ireland in the 1892 matches in Philadelphia. Wood, the former Notts and Derby batsmen, was now 48 years of age, and had headed the Philadelphian batting averages on the 1908 English tour. Six of this 1908 touring party played in the match now under review. They were Morris, White, King, Wood, Hordern and Winter. All six played in Dublin in August 1908 when Ireland lost by an innings. Only three of this Irish XI played in the 1908 match. They were Browning, Napper and Harrington. WP Hone, a tall batsmen, played his first match for Ireland in this game at the Haverford ground in Philadelphia.

The Irish touring party

There had been no sun in Philadelphia. The weather was cloudy and heavy with moisture, the ideal conditions for King's swing bowling. The wicket looked damp but easy when Browning beat Clark, another splendid swing bowler, in the toss. Morrow and Mooney faced King and Hordern. A poor crowd was present but improved in the afternoon. Soon after the game started the sun came out through the haze. King, seeing a soft wicket, kept his length well up and bowled many yorkers. He clean bowled seven batsmen, had two lbws and only required the assistance of the fielder in one case. Morrow and Mooney both got off the mark in King's first over but his last ball bowled Mooney. Andrews and Morrow both hit boundaries off King but at 16 King clean bowled Andrews for 5. Magee came next and there followed a stand of 40. In half an hour only 18 were scored but the rate speeded up later. At 37, when Morrow was 15, King bowled Morrow on a no-ball. "King's comments were not audible from the Grandstand but it is summarised that they were not as mellifluous as those of the visitors who congratulated themselves on a miraculous escape for one of their best men".

Encouraged by his let off Morrow hit out and Clark came on for Hordern. At 56 a magnificent diving one-handed catch by Haines at slip accounted for Magee. 56-3-16. Browning came in but King's change of pace beat and bowled him at 61 and next ball a fast yorker proved too much for Aston. Read remained with Morrow until lunch at 1:35 p.m. when the score was 75-5, with Morrow 37 not out. At 2:40 p.m. play was resumed. Read drove King for two fours but at 85 a sharp break back beat him. 85-6-16. King's next ball bowled Hone. Harrington came next and 12 were hit off Hordern's next over (the wicket being really too slow for the spinner). 100 went

up at 3.05 but at 109 King bowled Harrington for 11 and Napper was lbw next ball, this was the third time King had taken two wickets with successive balls in the innings. Lynch was number 11 and Graham came on to bowl. He was an non bowler and evidently came on to try and give King his 10th wicket. A single to Morrow gave him his 50 but several overs went by before King got Lynch lbw. The innings lasted 165 minutes and King bowled 109 balls in taking 10-53. King had once previously taken all 10 wickets, in a match against Manhattan. Morrow's splendid 50 not out was absolutely fabulous and he dealt with King very well.

At the close of play on the first day Ireland were still in the game having taken six Philadelphian wickets for 109 and were therefore still two runs ahead. At 3:50 p.m. Morris and White opened and Napper and Harrington bowled. After a while the bowlers changed ends and Harrington had Morris well caught at square leg by Hone. 15-1-2. Patton and White scored very freely, particularly Patton and 50 went up in 30 minutes. After several changes of bowling the confident Patton was out to a good catch by Andrews at mid off Aston. 57-2-31. Evans and White put on 16. Andrews came for Aston and off the second ball Evans was caught at the wicket by Browning. King gave a chance to Hone which was dropped but only a single was added before Harrington bowled King. Wood came in and seemed well set but at 86 he played on to Harrington in attempting a cut. 86-5. Graham and White saw 100 up but on the stroke of time, 5:15 p.m., Andrews bowled the hard-hitting Graham for 12. 109-6 with White 44 not out. This appears to have been a very short day's play.

The second today's weather was perfect and the weather was much improved. Hordern joined White and runs came at a terrific pace right from the start. Napper and Harrington started the bowling and Andrews and Lynch relieved them. 79 runs were added before a wicket fell. Morrow came on as a last resort and Hordern played on. 188-7-32. Hordern took great delight in pulling balls from outside the off stump round to leg. Next came the captain Clark and 200 went up after only 50 minutes play. At 224 White hit a ball to the boundary to complete his century amid great applause. He had been batting for about 160 minutes, a much faster rate than usual for him. The score mounted to 265 before Morrow bowled Clark. 265-8-41. At 276 White's innings finally ended, he being caught at the wicket off Morrow for 118, which included 14 fours. In three hours he had given no chance. The last wicket added a further 77. Winter, at number 11, scored 18 not out and played steadily while Haynes hit out. He scored boundary after boundary and scored 58 before Read caught him in the outfield. In 12.2 overs Morrow had taken all the last four wickets for 42 runs.

242 runs separated the teams when Morrow and Mooney opened to King and Hordern. The two bowlers carried all before them and Ireland were all out for 74. This was very disappointing because the wicket was much better than in the first innings and King was not in the superlative form of the previous innings. Mooney was bowled by King before a run was scored and at three Hordern and bowled Andrews for 0. Morrow, again playing very well, and Magee carried the score to 24. At this score King bowled Morrow, Browning and Aston with successive balls, a hat-trick, all bowled! Hordern bowled Magee and Read and Hone was run out for nine so that 8 were down for 35. Harrington came in and heaved King's inswingers round to leg. He and Napper added 23 and then Lynch, at number 11, also had a go before being caught by Ward off Hordern. Harrington was left with 27 not out having previously bowled 34 overs. There was a fair attendance today and after the game a dinner and dance was held in the clubhouse.