Mark Adair produced his best T20 bowling figures as Ireland took another huge step to qualification for next summer’s World Cup in the USA and West Indies with their biggest ever victory in the shortest format.

Austria, playing a Test nation for the first time, were their hapless victims as Ireland hit their highest T20 total and Adair, after taking a wicket with the first ball of the innings ended it eight balls early with two in a row to claim his third but most economical four-wicket haul.

Ireland are straight back into action this afternoon against Jersey, who lost to Italy yesterday by 25 runs, and victory would all but guarantee their place in the finals with only Germany to come before the last day showdown with hosts Scotland.

Fears that the weather would deny Ireland maximum points against the lowest-ranked team in the seven-team tournament proved unfounded with a dry morning in Edinburgh followed by a sunny afternoon, in stark contrast to the weather back home which saw the Women’s international in Dublin and the T20 finals days across the island all postponed without a ball bowled.

Ireland’s Men took full advantage including Ross Adair who was called into the team just before the toss after Andrew Balbirnie tweeked an ankle in the warm-up.

Adair, Mark’s older brother, playing just his seventh T20I, hit a typically belligerent 46 from 24 balls with four fours and three sixes in a second wicket stand of 65 with Lorcan Tucker who was just six runs short of a maiden T20I century when the overs ran out.

Paul Stirling had been the first wicket to fall, a complacent loose shot into the covers  – he probably thought it was all too easy after hitting his first two balls to the boundary – but it allowed other batters time in the middle, although apart from Tucker, no-one lasted more than 25 balls.

Indeed, Harry Tector did not hit a boundary in his run-a-ball 18 while Neil Rock, promoted to number five, from where he had posted his previous best international score of 22, and Ross Adair were both dropped on 29 and 18 respectively.

Replays also showed that Tucker, on 21, was short of his ground but the umpire gave him the benefit of the doubt and he went onto post his sixth T20 half-century and past his previous best of 84.

He finished the innings with a six which saw Ireland surpass their highest T20 total of 225, a record which had stood since the qualifying final in 2013 against Afghanistan.

The wickets soon started tumbling in the second innings, the Austrians repeatedly caught out by balls quicker than they have probably faced before with all four bowlers plus Ben White’s leg spin, which gave Mark Adair his 50^th catch for Ireland, claiming a share.

Stirling had a special word for Mark Adair who has now taken 30 wickets in his last 12 limited overs internationals.

“Mark has been brilliant for a long time. I hope he continues to do well for us, he responds in those pressure moments and that’s the exciting part and those moments will come even more so in the next few games,” said the interim captain.