• Debut: GE Kidd; GJ Thompson; Naseer Shoukat
• Greg Thompson took over Eoin Morgan’s record as the youngest ever player to be capped for Ireland, less than one year after Morgan had achieved that record. Thompson was 16 years and 286 days (58 days younger than Morgan).
• Both Thompson and Kidd had played for Ireland in the Under 19 World Cup. That meant 4 of that team – Eoin Morgan and Boyd Rankin were the others – had made their full Irish debut.
• The other debutant, Naseer Shaukat, had originally come to Ireland as a professional to play for Rush. He had then settled down here and was granted his Irish passport in 2003. He had played first-class cricket in Pakistan. In age terms, at 38 years 5 months, he was the opposite end of the spectrum from Kidd and Thompson. He took a wicket with the 4th ball of his 1st over.
• Of the team that had beaten the West Indies, Molins, White (work), O’Brien, Morgan (County Commitments) and Eagleson (injury) were not available for one reason or another for this match. In addition Cooke, P.J.K.Mooney (injury) and McCoubrey (County Commitments) were not available. Apart from the three new caps Dominick Joyce and Stephen Ogilby were recalled. Ogilby had not played since 1995, the year in which he made his debut and had been capped 9 times. After that season he had gone to Cheshire, initially to go to college, and was now playing for Cheshire in the Minor Counties. Ireland had played a further 133 Matches since he was last capped – a record number of matches between appearances, even though the length of time was not.
• A.D.Patterson, wicket-keeper for M.C.C., had played 60 matches for Ireland. Presently playing for Bedfordshire and working in England. The M.C.C. selected side included 2 international players in Matthew Sinclair (New Zealand) and Asif Mujtaba (Pakistan). However, Sinclair failed to arrive and at short notice M.J.Fourie (Phoenix) was called into the side. Captain Jason Ratcliffe had previously played for Warwickshire and Surrey. Two of the M.C.C. team (J.A.H.Marshall and R.Kotkamp) had played against Ireland at Lords last year. M.R.Foster had played for Victoria.
• This was Ireland’s first ever International at Limavady. There had been an International played at Limavady during the European Championships in 2002 but it did not involve Ireland. Initially this match was to have been staged at Eglinton, but work on the ground meant they could not host it. It was then to be moved to Brigade (Beech Grove) but they considered they did not have enough time to prepare a wicket.
• Bray’s 100 was his second for Ireland. In his last 7 innings he has scored 2 centuries and 4 fifties. He was dropped twice (at 6 and 74). Trent Johnston scored his first 50 for Ireland.
• M.C.C. were set 243 to win in a minimum of 58 overs. In fact as a result of an 80 minute rain break there would have been 47 and M.C.C. won in 43.4
• Andre Botha was injured after bowling only 2.4 overs in MCC 2nd innings
• 50 Partnerships

  For Ireland
  1st wicket	151	D.I.Joyce/J.P.Bray
  2nd wicket	 69	J.P.Bray/A.C.Botha
  3rd wicket	 55	D.I.Joyce/W.K.McCallan
  4th wicket	 79*	W.K.McCallan/D.T.Johnston
   
  Against Ireland
  4th wicket	125	M.R.Foster/J.A.H.Marshall
  3rd wicket	181	Asif Mujtaba/M.R.Foster
  

(Article: Copyright © 2004 Gerry Byrne)