Ireland went down fighting but the wait for a first T20 international win of the summer goes on.

A superb sixth wicket partnership of 86 from 47 balls by Lorcan Tucker and George Dockrell kept Ireland on course to chase down South Africa’s 211 for five, under the Bristol lights, but the dream died when both were dismissed off successive balls when they needed 42 off the last three overs.

Tucker, controlling the innings from No 3, hit 78 from 38 balls with seven fours and five sixes and Dockrell, continuing his fine form from last week’s inter-provincial festival hit two fours and three sixes in his 43.

Once again the death bowling was the difference between the teams with South Africa’s just too accurate while Ireland conceded 65 from the last five.

When it was too late to matter, Barry McCarthy hit the last ball of the match for six as the Proteas won by 21 runs.

It all looked so promising at the start with 18 coming off the first two overs but, once again, the openers flattered to deceive with Andrew Balbirnie skying to mid-on and Paul Stirling, after three boundaries in five balls, trapped in front by left arm pace man Wayne Parnell.

Ireland’s main batsman asked for the TV review but it only showed ‘three reds’.

Top class spinners are invariably Ireland’s nemesis and although skipper for the day Keshav Maharaj – David Miller was ruled out with a lower back spasm – conceded eight after taking the new ball, he returned to tempt Harry Tector into an expansive off drive and it went straight to extra cover.

In his next over he bowled Curtis Campher and, in between, Gareth Delany’s current woes continued when he looked plumb lbw to Tabraiz Shamsi.

The bowlers had done the Ireland batters no favours with a generally poor display. At one stage, South Africa scored from 18 successive deliveries, taking their score from 94 for two to 143 for two with Reeza Hendricks picking up where he left off in the England series last week to reach a fourth consecutive 50 and Aiden Markram who had scored a half-century in his only game against Jos Buttler’s side.

He also went on to bring up a 25-ball half century which included just two fours but after hitting a fifth six, he holed out to the mid-wicket boundary.

And after a partnership of 112 for the third wicket, Gareth Delany made it two in two when he snared Hendricks, taking the edge and just carrying to Paul Stirling at backward point.

Enter Tristan Stubbs who announced his arrival on the international stage with one of the innings of the series against England and he was quickly at it again here, hitting Mark Adair for 4 6 4 but Josh Little, perhaps surprisingly given the 19th over, in preference to the more accurate Curtis Campher, found the top edge and Tucker, who had a few untidy moments behind the stumps, held a good running catch.

Andy McBrine was given the nod in the one enforced change as the replacement for the injured Craig Young but despite making the early breakthrough and conceding just one boundary in his two overs, he was not called on again with South African right handers in the middle.

In the end, Little’s last over proved his most economical but for the first time he conceded 50 runs in a T20 international.