Colombo: West Indies became the first team in the T20 World Cup to qualify for the Super Eight stage without winning a match in the league round. West Indies who lost their last match against Australia by the Duckworth Lewis method got through to the next round as their match against Ireland was called off due to heavy rains. Only 19 overs were bowled and Ireland who were put in to bat could only manage a below par 129 in their allotted quota of 19 overs. Sammy and Co on the basis of their higher run-rate became the second team from Group B to qualify. Australia are already in the Super Eights winning both their encounter of the ICC T20 World Cup.
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Ireland: 129/6 in 19 overs (Niall O’ Brien 25, Gayle 2-21)
Match Facts:
Ireland: Powerplay 35 runs, 2 wickets
Toss: West Indies
Match Abandoned
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R Premdasa has seen a lot of rain in the past few days and having a full game was always difficult under the circumstances. Darren Sammy won the toss and decided to field keeping the weather in the mind. William Porterfield who got a golden duck against Australia got a peach of a delivery straight up which rattled his stumps.
Ed Joyce and Paul Stirling than put up a small little partnership, with most of the runs coming behind the wicket and off the edges. Sammy than removed Stirling and Narine got Joyce. Ireland lost half their side before reaching 100. Niall O’Brien rotated the strike well in the middle order and took the Irish score close to the three figure mark before getting out on 25 of a Gayle yorker.
Ireland had a good finish to their innings, as their last three batsmen all hit a six each taking the score close to 130.
Rain started pouring down as soon as the innings got over, at one point it stopped and it looked that the spectators might get an opportunity to see some Gayle magic, but rain gods had different ideas. West Indies’ run rate of -1.8 took them over the line compared to Ireland’s run-rate of -2.
