Pakistan dominate Ireland to clinch T20 series

Pakistan wrapped up a 2-1 T20 international men's series win against Ireland in front of a sell-out crowd at Clontarf, easing to victory by six wickets with 18 balls remaining.

The sides will meet again at the T20 World Cup finals in Florida next month and the manner of defeat will give the Irish selectors plenty to think about in the lead up, following Friday's historic win and defeats on Sunday and today.

On a warm May day, Pakistan won the toss and decided to put Ireland in to bat. The home side surprisingly rested captain Paul Stirling, with Lorcan Tucker skippering the side for the first time and Ross Adair brought in to open the innings as Stirling's replacement.

Gareth Delany was left out as a precaution due to a groin injury as Neil Rock played for the first time in the series.

Irish openers Andrew Balbirnie and Ross Adair put on 15 before Adair was bowled for 7 in the third over by Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Lorcan Tucker joined Balbirnie in the middle and immediately showed good aggressive intent, the stand-in captain reaching his second successive half century off 29 deliveries, in a fine knock featuring 8 fours and a six.

At the other end, Balbirnie had reached 35 as he and Tucker added 85 for the second wicket before he was brilliantly caught in the deep by the diving Mohammad Rizwan off Abbas Afridi's bowling. Ireland were on exactly 100 for 2 in the 11th over.

Harry Tector, in at four, hit a six off the first delivery he faced as he and Tucker moved the score to 132 in the 13th over before Tucker perished for a fine 73 runs, caught at deep extra cover by Saim Ayub off the bowling of spinner Imad Wasim.

Neil Rock was elevated up the order, coming in after Tucker's dismissal to join Tector in the middle, but was quickly