On the day that George Dockrell became Ireland’s greatest wicket-taker, Ireland won the first match of their ODI series against Namibia in Windhoek by 55 runs.

Dockrell, introduced as Ireland’s sixth bowler, finished with two wickets, but the first, with his fourth ball, was the 327th of his 16-year international career and took him past the great Dermott Monteith, another slow left armer, who claimed his last wicket back in 1984.  ‘Only’ 42 years ago, but different times.

Monteith played just 76 games in an 18-year career but bowled 2,404 overs; Dockrell, due to the proliferation of one-day cricket, was playing his 355th game and broke the record in his 1,935th over.

Although Namibia were 104 for five, in pursuit of Ireland’s 229 for nine when Dockrell came on, it still proved a vital wicket as it was the Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus who was lbw for 22, the last of the home batters who could have maintained a serious charge for victory.

Three balls later, Dockrell took his 328th wicket, JJ Smit caught at backward point by Curtis Campher and suddenly Namibia were 112 for seven. A few lusty blows by Ruben Trumpelmann who brought up his 50 with his seventh boundary (three sixes), got the hosts closer but he was last man out immediately afterwards, bowled by Liam McCarthy, with 12 overs unused.

Campher, Jai Moondra and Gavin Hoey were the other wicket-takers, with the leg spinner’s three for 29 earning him the man of the match.

Missing from the attack was Mark Adair with rumours that he may miss the entire series on disciplinary grounds. The official explanation is that the “coaches are keen for him to focus on a broader role across the group as a senior bowler rather than just match involvement while here”.  Significantly, he has also been included in the Ireland Wolves squad for the tour to Zimbabwe which follows next month.

If Dockrell is now the leading wicket-taker, the leading run-scorer shows no signs of slowing up. Paul Stirling passed 13,000 runs in his innings of 56, the ODI captain now more than 3,500 runs clear of his former opening partner William Porterfield in second place.

It was Stirling’s first half-century in 19 white-ball innings but he couldn’t go on, caught at long-on to leave Ireland 95 for two in the 21st over. It proved a consistent theme throughout the innings with many runs left out there.

Harry Tector, caught at short thirdman and Lorcan Tucker caught at extra cover, were both out for 28 and even Cade Carmichael, batting patiently at the other end, was leg before for 45 from 80 balls, with just four boundaries.

His dismissal was the first of six wickets falling for 54 runs in the last 10 overs as Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton finished with figures of four for 36 and give the momentum to Namibia after the break.

The Ireland bowlers, however, won the match with Moondra taking the first wicket in an impressive opening spell, Hoey following up with wickets in each of his first two overs and Campher putting Ireland on course for their first ODI win since beating West Indies at Clontarf 17 months ago.

The second match of the series is on Saturday.