Harry Tector took centre stage in his 100th T20 international in Belfast to help Ireland complete a sensational double over world champions India by the narrowest of margins — just the one run.

The older Tector’s 53 from 47 balls took his side to 154-8, and after another fine bowling display by the Boys in Green he took the responsibility of delivering the final over, and probably wished he hadn’t.

India needed 20 to win with only two wickets to spare but a high no-ball, two wides and a streaky four helped reduce the target to eight from two.

With another sell out Stormont crowd on the edge of their seats, Tector delivered the penultimate ball that was swung high to long on where his brother Tim held a catch feet inside the boundary to win the match — a six off the final delivery wasn’t enough.

What a weekend for Irish cricket! 

If the Boys in Green beating India for the first time on Friday wasn’t enough, no sooner had those celebrations died down in Belfast than Gaby Lewis’s side were ending their T20 World Cup campaign with a six-wicket victory over the West Indies in Bristol.

And then the glorious treble, and a 2-0 series win over an India side containing seven of the players who lifted the T20 World Cup earlier this year.

Ireland came out of the traps fast in both innings: Ross Adair hit consecutive sixes in the first over of the home innings, and left-arm seamer Jai Moondra dismissed both India openers first ball at the start of the reply.

Ben Calitz hit 37 from 23 balls as he added 65 with Harry Tector for the fourth wicket, while seamers Moondra and Matt Hollard again impressed with three wickets each. 

“I can't quite believe it,” new skipper Lorcan Tucker said. “i challenged the lads to show the world we could do it again, and we did.

“We came out with the same intent as the previous game and showed that cricket can be simple and you don't need to complicate it. We have a lot of lads with very few caps but they showed great character.“

Of the other two Ireland victories, the most impressive was the women’s if only because the West Indies needed to win to be sure of reaching the World Cup semi-finals.

Leg-spinner Cara Murray was the star with the ball in Bristol, taking 2-13, but she was given great support by the rest of the attack, not least by fit-again seamer Jane Maguire who was missed earlier in the tournament.

The four overs Murray and Maguire sent down from the sixth to the ninth, which included the dismissal of long-time Ireland tormentor Hayley Matthews, were exceptional.

The Girls in Green kept the pressure on throughout, though, held their catches, and a total of 128-7 was a good 25 below par and would have been chased down with more ease if it wasn’t to secure a maiden World Cup win at the 21st attempt.

When Orla Prendergast was caught in the deep for a superb 63 from 44 balls, Ireland still needed a nervy 21 to win but Rebecca Stokell eased the tension with a couple of meaty blows, and a Louise Little boundary sealed victory with 11 balls to spare.

“I’m so proud of the girls,” skipper Lewis said. “We’re such a tight group, and if you look back at what we’ve done in this tournament, yes there have been some defeats, but also some really positive periods too.”

Lewis will rue the opening defeat by Scotland, who are ranked lower, and coming up one boundary short against New Zealand because her side could have been in the hunt for a last four place along with England — the West Indies grabbed it on nett run-rate.

And in her quieter moments the skipper probably wonders just how good Ireland would be if Kim Garth — who will feature in the semi-finals — hadn’t sought fame and fortune in Australia.