Day 1:
Cricket which might almost be described as sensational was seen by the small number of spectators, about 300 were present in the afternoon, who disregarded the threatening rain and saw the first day's play in the match between Scotland and Ireland at Raeburn Place, Edinburgh.

After losing half their wickets for 48, Scotland reached a highly satisfactory total of 292, thanks largely to a sixth wicket stand by B. R. Tod and A. K. McTavish, which added 190. The pair carried Scotland round a difficult corner, and Tod was undefeated at 143 when the last wicket fell.

Ireland, in reply, lost eight wickets for 52, and were 240 behind with two wickets standing when stumps were drawn. They thus still require 91 runs to prevent the Scottish captain having the right to compel them to follow on.

When Scotland batted, the toss having been won there were early misgivings when J. F. Jones mistimed an off break and was sent back with the total at 3. J. B. Jones did not seem at ease especially against the short-pitched fast deliveries of C. W. Billingsley, but he managed to keep his end up while A. Smith settled down to attack the bowling.

Thirty runs were added in just about as many minutes, when Jones made an awkward stroke and was easily caught by Reddy at second slip. That was another blow to Scotland, but worse followed. Eight runs later E. W. Wilson played a ball from J. R. Graham on to his wicket and was out for a "duck," and Smith and D. W. Soga were dismissed for the addition of two runs.

Smith's contribution of 31 runs represented a courageous effort, although he was missed by Boucher at first slip when at 16. His only obvious fault was the wild stroke which resulted in his dismissal.

Up to that point the Irish bowlers had carried all before them, but a remarkable change took place when A. K. McTavish and B. R. Tod became associated. The carefree method in which they attacked the bowling aroused great enthusiasm from the spectators. Thirty-eight runs were put on in the twenty-five minutes before lunch, and the century was telegraphed ten minutes after the resumption.

J. Macdonald varied his attack in an effort to separate the pair, but without success. The score continued to rise merrily, and Tod reached the half-century in fifty-five minutes. The partnership added 100 in 130 minutes, and 150 was on the board in little over an hour and a half.

McTavish, who stayed at 49 for about twenty minutes, did not get much of the bowling but he passed the half-century in ninety-five minutes. The 200 mark was soon passed, and Tod got his individual century with a 4 off Graham. Tod had at that point batted for an hour and three-quarters, taking only forty minutes for his second 50.

The brilliant partnership eventually came to an end at 238, when McTavish got his leg in front of a ball from E. A. Ingram, whose bowling had always to be treated with respect. The pair had added 190 in 110 minutes.

McTavish played a faultless innings, giving no chance, and hitting six 4's. Square cuts and off-drives were his best strokes, and he invariably hit the ball with the middle of the bat.

G. T. Forbes then assisted Tod in taking the score from 238 to 284, the Aberdeenshire man scoring the last 12 runs by three successive 4s off Ingram. After Forbes had been caught on the boundary, the remaining wickets fell cheaply, and the side were dismissed in a little over four hours.

The feature of Tod's brilliant innings, which included seventeen 4s, was his variety of strokes to the off, but he scored all round the wicket, and did not give chance.

Scotland met with almost immediate success when Ireland went in to bat. Forbes, in his second over took V. A. Metcalfe's off stump, and with his next ball he got E. W. R. Shearer s wicket. Ireland had thus lost two wickets for 1, and when D. R. Pigot was caught at first slip by Smith in Forbes' next over only 6 runs were on the board.

Forbes at that point had three wickets for 2 runs. Macdonald and Ingram made an effort to avert disaster, but at 18 the Ireland captain was bowled by J. S. Farquhar, and in his next over the Forfarshire man dismissed F. M. Quinn without addition.

J. H. Melville then came on for Forbes at the pavilion end, and met with success with his second ball, McTavish whipping the bails off when J. C. Boucher went out of his ground in an attempt to make a straight drive. Smith was brought on for Farquhar, and the run of successes continued, the Kilmarnock player taking G. M. Crothers's wicket.

The total then stood at 46, and when Melville got Reddy out lbw, for the addition of 6 runs, stumps were drawn.

Bowling for Ireland, Billingsley had four wickets for 80, Ingram three for 42, and Graham three for 76. For Scotland, Forbes has so far taken three for 13, Farquhar two for 13, Melville two for 22, and Smith one for 3.

Day 2:
Brilliant sunshine favoured the opening of the second day's play in the international match between Scotland and Ireland at Raeburn Place, Edinburgh, yesterday. Scotland stood at 292, and Ireland had lost eight men for 52 runs. The wicket had been carefully protected from the overnight rain, and it appeared in excellent condition when the Irish innings was continued with E. A. Ingram and J. R. Graham at the crease.

J. S. Farquhar opened the Scottish attack, and his sixth ball short pitched and fast, was snicked into the hands of McTavish by Ingram, who had been distinctly uncomfortable . Ireland thus lost their ninth wicket without addition.

G. T. Forbes took charge at the pavilion end, and there were hopes of a sporting finish to the innings when Graham hit 12 off his first four balls, two straight drives reaching the boundary. C. W. Billingsley then faced Farquhar, however, and after surviving three good deliveries, he mistimed the next completely, and had his middle stump almost lifted out of the ground.

Farquhar had thus taken the last two wickets in ten balls without conceding a run, and Ireland were all out in an hour and twenty-five minutes for 64.

W. Anderson, the Scottish captain, did not enforce the follow-on, and Scotland batted again. The cousins Jones again opened the innings, and two runs only were on the board when "J. B." was out leg-before to Graham. A. Smith, who had been promoted in the batting order, then joined J. F. Jones, and the score mounted steadily.

At 19, however, Smith once again played wildly at the ball, and was clean bowled by Graham. E. W. Wilson then joined Jones, but he was never comfortable against the fast deliveries of Billingsley, who appeared to bowl with greater speed than on Saturday, and made the ball rise quickly. Only five runs had been added when the Royal High School man was out lbw to Billingsley.

D. W. Soga and Jones then became associated, and singles, some of them rather risky, raised the score a little more rapidly. Soga played himself in carefully.

Jones, in trying to pull Ingram, was clean bowled with the total at 72. Soga and Jones had put on 48 in as many minutes, the latter batting an hour and twenty-five minutes for 35.

Soga, who was joined by A. K. McTavish, gradually settled down to attack the bowling and it was a splendid catch by Graham at mid-off that dismissed him for 24.

Half the Scottish side were thus out for 83, but there were brighter hopes when A. K. McTavish and B. R. Tod came together again. McTavish played soundly, but at 104 he stepped out to drive Ingram, misjudged the fight of the ball, and was clean bowled.

G. T. Forbes was at the crease for five minutes only before being caught on the boundary, and then came Scotland's last stand between Tod and W. Anderson. Forty-seven runs were added in quick time, and when the Scottish captain was caught off Ingram the innings was closed at 155 for six wickets.

Scotland met with an early success when Ireland went in to bat, V. A. Metcalfe lifting a ball from Forbes and being caught by J. F. Jones. The total at that point was 5, and 15 runs later D. R. Pigot was out to a similar stroke, J. F. Jones again being the successful fieldsman.

With their opening batsmen dismissed cheaply, Ireland were in a bad plight, and they experienced a further reverse when E. C. R. Shearer was caught off Farquhar for the addition of two runs. J. Macdonald, the Irish captain, joined E. A. Ingram, but he did not stay long, being caught behind the wicket off J. H. Melville's bowling.

Then followed a resolute stand between Ingram and F. M. Quinn, which carried the score to 71 before the latter got his leg in front of a good delivery from Anderson, five wickets down for 71.

Quinn and J. C. Boucher played out time, the century being reached after two hours and fifteen minutes. With five wickets in hand, Ireland thus require to get 284 runs to win.

Day 3:
Scotland had a decisive victory by 214 runs in the international match which was concluded at Raeburn Place, Edinburgh, yesterday. Ireland required to make 284 runs to win and had only five wickets in hand when they resumed their second innings, but their remaining batsmen were dismissed within an hour.

E. A. Ingram was the most successful Irish batsman, and he went on to complete his half-century in about two and a half hours, hitting six 4s in his 54.

J. C. Boucher was the first to go, when he gave a simple catch to A, Smith at short mid-on, and at 129 G. M. Crothers fell a victim to J. S. Farquhar under the new lbw rule.

Ingram found a useful partner in F. J. Reddy, and Smith and J. H. Melville were brought on in an effort to separate the pair. Melville met immediate success, Reddy stepping out to drive his sixth ball and being stumped by A. K. McTavish.

The total at that point was 152, and seven runs later Melville completely baffled Ingrain with a good length leg break. With Ingram gone, it was only a matter of waiting for the end, and within five minutes the innings was concluded when J. R. Graham was clean bowled by Smith.

Only a handful of spectators attended yesterday, and the attendance for the three days would be about 1250.

(Article: Copyright © 2013 Cricket Scotland http://cricketscotland.com)