Leinster capitulated horribly to be beaten by 144 runs by a misfiring Merrion. Merrion elected to bat leaving Leinster to cope with a dew-damp ball. The problem was compounded by Leinster’s selection of a crocked Keily Todd, who was only able to bowl one desperate opening over to the tune of almost 20 runs, leaving left-arm spinner, George Dockrell, to bowl the third over of the innings with the damp ball. Dom Joyce bullied Leinster to the tune of 52 (of 65 in the 10th over), with a series of beautifully middled drives and a stunning late cut. He then took on Byron Vermaak at mid-off and was comfortably run out. The innings proceeded at a sedate three runs an over, steadily shedding wickets to 139-7 by the 37th over. (Kade Beasley was spectacularly caught and bowled by skipper Anton Scholtz off a full-blooded drive). Matt Petrie and Peter Blakeney put on a steady 59 for the eighth wicket and Merrion closed at 213-9.

Mark Jones, who had turned his leg-spinners prodigiously for his seven overs and picked up a wicket, got the ball of the season from Richard Keaveney; it seamed away and removed off stump. The innings collapsed to 35-7 by the 14th over. The death-blow was the dismissal of Sholtz by a massive inswinger from left-armer Jeff Short, delivered from over the wicket.

The rest of the innings — all twenty overs of it! — was a reminder of both the horrors and advantages of draw cricket. Surely the old captains would not have allowed the tail to hang around and would have been prepared to offer a few runs to tempt them. It was all over after 34 overs for 69 runs — 30 of those extras (21 wides).
The bowlers shared the wickets, except notably Matt Petrie, Leinster’s leading wicket-taker, who went wicktless for the first time this season.