Ireland can head to the T20 World Cup with a first series win against Afghanistan in the bank after George Dockrell – who else? – scored the run which clinched victory in the deciding T20 international at Stormont.

With a little bit of help from the weather, Ireland had the straightforward task of scoring 56 from seven overs to win the series and although they lost three wickets, Dockrell, the batsman the Afghan bowlers failed to dismiss in all five games, was there at the finish, yet again, to see Ireland home. His finally tally was 141 runs at a strike rate of 153.

Dockrell’s decisive blow was a pulled four through mid-wicket off the third ball of the last over to tie the scores and he then lofted Farid Ahmad over extra cover to complete the confidence-boosting victory, the first series win against Afghanistan.

The batting line-up has picked itself all summer and seems sure to be the top six which will face Zimbabwe in Hobart on October 17 but the bowling attack has also put their hands up and now also seem undroppable.

It was the bowlers who won this match before the rain cut short the Afghanistan innings after 15 overs, restricting their rivals to 95 for five, with player of the match Mark Adair taking three wickets in his first 11 balls and Josh Little, who will be playing in The Hundred for Manchester Originals from next week, returning for his second spell to take two in two. The rain also denied him the chance of a hat-trick.

The support for the opening bowlers was steady with Barry McCarthy conceding only one boundary in his three overs and Curtis Campher only one off the bat in his four. Gareth Delany continues to impress in his new role as the front line spinner and Dockrell was raring to go with the ball as well before the rain drove the players off just as he was about to bowl his first ball.

Usman Ghani took a liking to Simi Singh so the off-spinner’s role is still up for grabs, with Ireland set to take only one to Australia, either him or Andy McBrine.

Paul Stirling, another bound for The Hundred, with Southern Braves, has now gone 19 T20 innings without a half-century but everyone knows it just means he is one closer to the next big one, and he still hit 12 boundaries in the series, while Andrew Balbirnie hit his fourth six yesterday and after a poor run over the previous eight games has consolidated his position as opening batsman.

Lorcan Tucker is relishing his new role at No 3 in T20s and Harry Tector, the other unbeaten batsman at the end, is Ireland’s No 4 in all formats and, aged just 22, will only get even better.

Inter-squad games in September will be the final chance for players to impress the selectors but this winning squad is in pole position.