Cricket:England scraped unimpressively through to the ICC World Twenty20 Super Eight stage after a rainy no-result to their Group D shoot-out with Ireland tonight.
Paul Collingwood’s team could muster only a vulnerable 120 for eight on an awkward pitch, after being asked to bat first at the Guyana National Stadium.
But after Ireland had started and had to stop their reply twice and got as far as 14 for one from 3.3 overs, the 5pm local time cut-off was reached.
International Cricket Council rules stipulate that five overs of a second innings must be completed to constitute a Duckworth-Lewis result - and since that was not possible, England progress alongside group winners West Indies thanks to a far superior run rate.
Ireland were therefore left to rue their collapse last week against the hosts, which put their run rate in such a parlous and uncompetitive state.
SCORECARD
: ICC WORLD TWENTY20
Group D – At Providence Stadium, Georgetown, Guyana. Ireland won the toss and fielded. Match abandoned, no result. Ireland 1pt, England 1pt.
ENGLAND
M Lumb c Rankin b Lumb 14
C Kieswetter run out (J Mooney) 13
K Pietersen c Mooney b K O'Brien 9
P Collingwood c Botha b Johnston 0
E Morgan c Wilson b Botha 45
L Wright c Porterfield b Rankin 20
T Bresnan c Mooney b Rankin 5
G Swann not out 7
M Yardy run out (Johnston) 0
S Broad not out 0
Extras (lb4 w2 nb1) 7
Total (for 8 wkts, 20 ovs) 120
Did not bat: R Sidebottom
Fall: 1-24, 2-32, 3-32, 4-49, 5-90, 6-109, 7-115, 8-118.
Bowling: B Rankin 4-0-25-2; T Johnston 4-0-14-1; K O'Brien 3-0-22-2; G Dockrell 4-0-19-0; A Botha 4-0-29-1; A Cusack 1-0-7-0.
IRELAND
W Porterfield not out 4
P Stirling c Lumb b Sidebottom 0
N O'Brien not out 9
Extras (w1) 1
Total (for 1 wkt, 3.3 ovs) 14
Did not bat: A Cusack, K O'Brien, G Wilson, T Johnston, J Mooney, A Botha, B Rankin, G Dockrell.
Fall: 1-4.
Bowling: T Bresnan 2-0-5-0; R Sidebottom 1.3-0-9-1