The day Ireland bowled the West Indies out for just 25!

The two teams before the match

This 253rd match played by Ireland was surely the most extraordinary of all. In 25.5 overs the West Indies were bowled out for 25! West Indies were on a short tour to England, their team was in the process of change and they did not do well, losing the Test series 2-0 with one drawn match. The great Gary Sobers, then captain, had a bad tour. He and the wicketkeeper Hendricks did not come to Ireland as both were injured. This match was played at the picturesque Sion Mills ground. 12 miles south of Londonderry. It followed immediately on the Lords Test which was a high scoring and thrilling draw. There was a good crowd in the little ground and they saw history made. The wicket was not bad but due to rain it was damp and had a good deal of grass. The ball came through at varying heights but it was slow. The West Indies had come from fast conditions and played some fast wicket shots which got them out. Camacho, Butcher, Lloyd, Shepherd, Findlay and Shillingford had all been in the Test the previous day. Foster, Carew and Walcott (the Manager) had all played Test cricket also. The other two were Blair (a fast bowler) and Roberts (slow left-armer).

Michael Reith, a young left handed batsman, replaced Monteith in the Irish team - the only change from the Scottish match. Camacho took a single in 0'Riordan's first over; attempting to hook Goodwin's first ball, he was caught at mid-wicket. In 0'Riordan's second over Carew also attempted a hook, the ball got up too high and he lobbed a catch to square leg. At 3 Foster was foolishly run out as Butcher hit a ball to Hughes' left at mid-off and called a run. Hughes fielded the ball and his throw to the wicket-keeper easily beat Foster who was not hurrying. Butcher and Lloyd got three singles. In 0'Riordan's sixth over one reared and struck Butcher on the arm. He slashed at the next and Duffy took a good low catch at gully.

The portly 43 year old Walcott, who was out of practice, now appeared. He stayed on the back foot as was proper on this wicket. In Goodwin's seventh over Lloyd misdrove a ball to mid-off where Waters took an easy catch - 6 for 5! In Goodwin's next over this became 8 for 6 when Shepherd played a bad cut shot at a short ball and Duffy took another good catch at gully. Walcott and Findlay were together for six overs; when the score was 12 Walcott had made all six runs scored since he had come in. In Goodwin's 11th over Findlay stepped out to drive and spooned the ball to mid-off where Waters almost dropped the easy catch. A bye was scored and then O'Riordan took two wickets with the last two balls of his 12th over. Walcott swung at him and Anderson caught a skier at cover. Next ball Roberts swung to leg and skied to the wicket-keeper.

Goodwin then bowled a maiden to Blair. O'Riordan in his last over conceded 12 runs to Shillingford and Blair with both swinging gaily. With the fifth ball of the next over Goodwin bowled Blair and West Indies were all out for 25. O'Riordan had figures of 13-8-18-4 and Goodwin 12.5-8-6-5. Goodwin's pace and whip suited the wicket admirably. He had bowled unchanged with O'Riordan throughout the innings which had lasted just 86 minutes. The score of 25 was the lowest ever against Ireland - the previous was 29 made by New York in New York in 1909 and the previous lowest in Ireland was 32 by Scotland at College Park in 1911.

Ireland's bowling heroes, Dougie Goodwin (left) and Alec O'Riordan

With 25 minutes to lunch Pigot and Waters opened. Shillingford and Blair pitched too short. Pigot was severe on Shillingford and 19 were scored in six overs. In Blair's fourth over Waters slashed on the back foot and was caught by Findlay at the wicket. Lunch was taken at this point. In the 11th over Pigot and Reith passed the West Indies total but there was ample opportunity of a result over two innings. Reith was hobbling from a recent ankle injury and was lbw to Shepherd who had come on after Shillingford had bowled two overs. Two overs later Harrison was also lbw to Shepherd for 0. Blair, after 8 overs, gave way to Roberts. At 51 Anderson was caught at slip off Roberts for 7. Four runs later Dineen played on, off foot and elbow to leave Ireland at 55 for five. Shepherd came off after 13 overs in which he took three for 20 and Shillingford returned. At 69 Pigot popped a ball off him to forward short leg - his 37 was a good innings lasting two hours. 0'Riordan and Duffy then had the best stand of the innings, putting on 34 in 27 minutes before falling to Carew, caught and bowled, for 35. Hughes came in after tea and scored 13 including a six off Carew but was caught at deep square leg next ball by Holder substituting for Blair. At this point Ireland declared with Duffy 15 not out.

With 95 minutes left West Indies went in again exactly 100 behind. Camacho took a single from O'Riordan. Then Goodwin took two wickets in his first over - Camacho again mishooked and Dineen caught him two handed high to his left at square leg. Four balls later Pigot dived in at short leg to catch Foster - 1 for two! Here ended Ireland's success for a while as Goodwin retired with a leg strain after bowling two overs. Waters took over the captaincy and Hughes and Duffy came on to bowl. Butcher now cut loose and scored a number of fours and a six, putting on 72 in 73 minutes with Carew. Butcher went to his 50 with a snick over gully. Off the first ball of Duffy's next over Waters at deep mid-on judged a high catch nicely and Butcher was out for 50 scored in 73 minutes. In Duffy's next over Carew hit further and longer to deep mid on where Pigot caught him. No catch was dropped by Ireland during the day and they held some good ones. Walcott and Lloyd played out the remaining two overs.

On that note an extraordinary match ended. Next day the London Times had a front page column on the match, the Mirror a colour front page picture of Goodwin and O'Riordan and Roy Ulyett drew a cartoon in the Express. BBC Northern Ireland televised the play live and their tape was in much demand for National News and Sports programmes for some time afterwards.

IRELAND  v  WEST INDIES
July 2, 1969
Sion Mills, Co Tyrone
Ireland won by 9 wickets

WEST INDIES
GS Camacho      c Dineen b Goodwin   1     c Dineen b Goodwin   1
MC Carew      c Hughes b O'Riordan   0        c Pigot b Duffy  25
MLC Foster                 run out   2      c Pigot b Goodwin   0
*BF Butcher    c Duffy b O'Riordan   2       c Waters b Duffy  50
CH Lloyd        c Waters b Goodwin   1                not out   0
CL Walcott  c Anderson b O'Riordan   6                not out   0
JN Shepherd      c Duffy b Goodwin   0
+TM Findlay     c Waters b Goodwin   0
P Roberts    c Colhoun b O'Riordan   0
GC Shillingford            not out   9
PD Blair                 b Goodwin   3
  Extras                     (b 1)   1                 (lb 2)   2
  Total                             25               (4 wkts)  78

FOW: 1-1;  2-1;  3-3; 4-6;  5-6;         1-1; 2-1; 3-73; 4-78
     6-8; 7-12; 8-12; 9-12; 10-25

               O    M    R   W               O    M    R   W
O'Riordan     13    8   18   4               6    1   21   0
Goodwin       12.5  8    6   5               2    1    1   2
Hughes                                       7    4   10   0
Duffy                                       12    8   12   2
Anderson                                     7    1   32   0

IRELAND

DR Pigot c Camacho b Shillingford  37
RHC Waters      c Findlay b Blair   2
MS Reith           lbw b Shepherd  10
J Harrison         lbw b Shepherd   0
IJ Anderson  c Shepherd b Roberts   7
PJ Dineen              b Shepherd   0
AJ O'Riordan          c & b Carew  35
GA Duffy                  not out  15
LP Hughes          c sub b Carew   13
*DE Goodwin 
+OD Colhoun 
  Extras             (lb 2, nb 4)   6
  Total              (8 wkts dec) 125

FOW: 1-19; 2-30;  3-34; 4-51; 5-55;
     6-69; 7-103; 8-125

Blair          8    4   14   1
Shillingford   7    2   19   1
Shepherd      13    4   20   3
Roberts       16    3   43   1
Carew          3.2  0   23   2

Toss: West Indies

Umpires: A Tichett; M Stott          Captain *; Wicketkeeper +