A stunning innings by stand-in skipper Lorcan Tucker led to Ireland’s first win at the T20 World Cup in Colombo on Saturday.

Forced into a leadership role by the knee injury to Paul Stirling, the Dubliner responded with an unbeaten 94 that drove Ireland to 235-5, their highest score at a World Cup, and the second highest by any side in the history of the event.

It equalled his own career best, made against Austria two years ago, both innings lasting just 51 balls.

The captain, with support from Gareth Delany and George Dockrell, dragged Ireland back from what could have been an embarrassing defeat when the top order imploded.

It was a case of trial by left-arm spin as the Omani trio of twirlers exposed some very loose techniques, with Shakeel Ahmed claiming 3-33 as Ireland struggled to 64-4 in the eighth over.

Tucker was gifted a life on 18 by the Oman wicketkeeper Vinayak Shukla. The Irishman overbalanced after a ball was fired down the leg side and Shukla whipped off the bails. But TV replays showed the keeper’s glove had knocked the stump when the ball was in his other hand, and the third umpire’s call was ‘not out’.

Tucker and Delany settled things down and began to play their shots. They added 101 in 56 balls to turn the game around completely. Tucker’s fifty came up in 35 balls, Delany’s in 28 as they especially feasted on the seamers.

The latter finally holed out for 56 off 30 balls, including four 6s.

If Oman thought they were off the hook, they were badly mistaken. Dockrell arrived in a mood to finish them off, and his 35 not out off nine balls at an incredible 3.9 runs per ball is the greatest strike rate by far recorded by an Irishman.

He and Tucker added 70 in just 19 balls, with the minor disappointment that the Pembroke man missed out on what have been only the fourth century by an Irish batsman. Dockrell hit five 6s in his brief stay, including three off the last three balls of the innings. The total of 13 sixes is one short of the Irish record set against India in Malahide and Scotland in Edinburgh.

Tucker’s 94 included four 6s and ten 4s.

‘Lorcan's had a great day out,’ said coach Heinrich Malan afterwards. ‘First day up obviously as captain in unforeseen circumstances, but I think that shows how he’s grown as a leader. His presence around the group is not necessarily shouting from the rooftops, but he leads through action.’

Victory was never in doubt, but a healthy margin would have repaired Ireland’s dismal net run rate and on this count they failed to kick their opponents when they were down.

Again the failings in the field cost them dearly, three missed catches to go with the ten drops in the first two games. There were some good grabs, notably by Ross Adair and Matt Humphreys, and some quick work in the infield that yielded two run outs.

Humphreys was tidy, but the seamers have had better days. One fillip came with the return to the side of Josh Little, who looks to have taken his dropping as a spur. The left-arm quick took 3-16 which could have been more with better back-up.

Aamir Kaleem rode his luck to make a fifty and become the oldest to do so at a World Cup, aged 44.  At 85-2 at half-way, Oman looked like they could kill off Irish hopes of a run-rate boost, but the last seven wickets went for 32 and increased Ireland’s rate out of negative equity to 0.150.

Progress still looks a forlorn hope, but a big victory over Zimbabwe on Tuesday will mean Australia and Sri Lanka cannot afford slip-ups.