A sensational unbroken fifth wicket partnership of 119 from just 60 balls between Curtis Campher and George Dockrell kept Ireland’s hopes of getting through the group stages of the T20 World Cup in Australia very much alive.

At 61 for four, chasing Scotland’s 176 for five, it looked as if Ireland could be planning an early return home but they not only only passed it without further loss but did so with an over to spare.

Campher has never batted better in his 39-game career which started in record-breaking fashion with back-to-back 50s against England in 2020. He topped his previous best score of 68 to finish 72 not out with seven fours and two sixes and for once Dockrell, the batsman of the summer, was happy to play second fiddle.

He still made an undefeated 39 from 27 balls with four fours and a six to leave the other power hitters, Gareth Delany, Mark Adair and even Barry McCarthy redundant in the shed.

The match-winning partnership, however, did camouflage another top order failure and some strange bowling choices by skipper Andrew Balbirnie and it is unlikely Ireland will be able to do the same against West Indies in their final group game on Friday.

However, ahead of the second game last night between Zimbabwe and West Indies, nothing had been decided and, indeed, a win for the Windies would leave all four teams on one win each going into the last two games.

Ireland’s early struggles at the top of the innings continued with Paul Stirling, dropped on three, surviving only three more balls before he was caught behind off the toe of the bat. The on-field umpire actually gave it not out and although the ultra edge replay – after Scotland reviewed the decision – did not appear entirely conclusive, the television umpire ruled he had got the faintest of touches.

By that stage, Balbirnie was already back in the hut, after driving straight to cover and although Lorcan Tucker and Harry Tector doubled the score for the third wicket, both batsmen were dismissed in the space of six balls, Tucker spooning one to short fine leg and Tector caught on the mid-wicket boundary.

The rest of the innings was chanceless and impressive, Campher bringing up his 50 in just 25 balls, having already passed his previous best T20 total. Indeed the South African-born batsman failed to score from only two of the 32 balls he faced, finishing the match with three successive fours off Josh Davey.

The Ireland bowling was a curate’s egg of a performance, typical of their recent performances in the shortest format.

Campher was already in pole position for Ireland’s top player at the halfway stage, having taken wickets from the first ball of his two overs – but they would be his only two overs with Balbirnie sticking ridgedly to his plans and giving Barry McCarthy a fourth over, despite his first three going for 40. He bowled the 18th and Scotland helped themselves to another 20.

Adair took the big wicket of George Munsey with his first ball, trapped in front and again the on-field decision was reversed by the television umpire, this time on an Ireland review. Crucially the CIYMS all-rounder also conceded just four runs off the bat in the last over of the Scotland innings.

The spinners bowled six overs but figures of 0-53 proved it was not their day. No matter, Ireland’s World Cup is up and running, for at least another two days.