Ireland have been knocked out of cricket's World Twenty20 Cup after their game with England was abandoned due to rain in Guyana. Read about how the game progressed with our over by over text commentary here.
By Ed Leahy
Rants, raves and opinions welcome to sportonline@rte.ie.
21.45 The players are shaking hands. It's all over and England go through. as it is deemed a no-contest. So England progress and the Irish go home. Bit of a sickener that the Irish didn't get a chance to have a go at the target but that, as they say, is cricket.
21.35 More rain. This is bad news for Ireland as we are now running out of time. Looked like it was going to go to a nine over game but I'm starting to think that there will be no more play and Ireland will be going home.
21.30 The ground staff in Guyana are certainly earning their corn running on and off with the covers. Latest is that the covers are now off and play may resume within the next 15 overs.
21.20 Covers coming off - no word of new target yet.
21.15 Covers are still on in Georgetown. A revised target should come into play when the teams come back out, which should suit the Irish. The only problem is if the rain doesn't stop, then England will go through. Nervous times these for both camps but the English must think the world is against them after the same thing happened against the West Indies on Monday.
Over 4 Ireland 14-1 O'Brien whips one for four followed by a straightish drive over the top for another four. Successive boundaries for O'Brien. Looks like its more rain coming in here. Almost at the five over mark which would constitute a game. Covers are on and the players go off once more.
Over 3 Ireland 6-1 Bresnan bowling. O'Brien gets off the mark, followed by a couple of dot balls and then a wide. Porterfield playing it safe here. Just two off the over.
Over 2 WICKET STIRLING 0 Ireland 4-1 Big appeal for a catch but umpire not having it. Stirling attacks Sidebottom but slashes and misses. Ball through to keeper. Stirling attacks again and smashes a huge hit towards the boundary but Lumb makes a spectacular catch and Stirling is out.
20.49 And we're back - targets remain the same as far as I can tell at the moment.
Over 2 Ireland 4-0 If it goes to a five-over match Ireland will need 35 to win which would be a very gettable target for the Irish with the full compliment of batsmen still available.
Over 2 Ireland 4-0 Ryan Sidebottom beats Porterfield for pace from the first delivery. Ireland look to be easing into this innings. Probably the best tactic after the West Indies debacle with the bat. Nice single for the captain. And here comes the rain. This could be very good news for Ireland provided they get back on later. England coach Andy Flower looks to be fuming in the dressing room. Need a result though for Ireland as a rained off game will send England through.
Over 1 Ireland 3-0 Porterfield and Stirling take the field for Ireland. Bresnan bowling. Two dots to start but a nice hit for three from Porterfield gets them off the mark. Stirling has a nibble at the last ball but pulls back from it.
20.04 So that's the end of the England innings, which would have been a lot worse apart from Eoin Morgan's 45. Every chance here for the Irish. Need one or two batsmen to get a bit of a start and there's everything to play for. One big innings from an Irish batsman will see them into the Super Eight phase. But will they try and hold onto their wickets or come out swinging as they did against the Windies. It's all to play for. Ireland to bat in about 15 minutes.
Over 20 England 120-8 England get to 120 at the end of their innings.
Over 20 WICKET YARDY 0 RUN OUT Johnston England Trent Johnston fielding majestically to run out Michael Yardy for 0. Great bit of work there by the former captain. Direct hit.
Over 20 England 116-7 WICKET MORGAN 45 b Botha c Wilson Swann the new batsman takes asngle to get Morgan back on strike. Two quick runs for Morgan. Then smashes next ball to Wilson who catches. Morgan out for 45.
Over 19 England 112-6 WICKET BRESNAN b Rankin c Mooney Morgan produces a Dilshan and bats it over his head for a boundary. Bresnan tries to get in on the act but straight down the throat of John Mooney who catches no problem.
Over 18 England 104-5 Morgan smashes another boundary as England push past the hundred. 38 of them scored by an Irishman. Botha still bowling a nice length. Ten from the over as last ball takes an inside edge and goes between O'Brien's legs for four.
Over 17 WICKET WRIGHT 20 b Rankin c Porterfield England 94-5 Rankin returns and Morgan helps it on its way for a single. Wright charges down the wicket trying to smash Rankin. Mis-hits it long into the safe hands of captain Porterfield. Big wicket for Ireland. Great over for Boyd. Five off the over.
Over 16 England 89-4 O'Brien bowling - good over for England including a six and a no-ball free hit. 13 off the over as Wright and Morgan start to look very comfortable.
Over 15 England 76-4 Five dot balls in a row set Dockrell up for a maiden. One off the last to spoil it for the youngster.
Over 14 England 75-4 Botha back in and Wright tries to smash him but mis-hits it. Ball drops safe. England trying to get ones and twos here. England struggling with Botha but sneak three off the last ball.
Over 13 England 67-4 Another good over for England as they score eight off Dockrell's spin.
Over 12 England 59-4 Alec Cusack into the attack. Morgan looking comfortable and Wright staring to score as well. Good over for England
Over 11 England 49-4 Halfway through England's batting and it's the Rocky Horror Show according to Bumble on Sky Sports. Andre Botha in to bowl his nice medium pace for the first time today. Morgan gets one away to get Wright back on strike.
Over 10 England 49-4 Big hitting Luke Wright joins Morgan in the England bat attack. Need to get this fella early before he gets going. Tentative start for Wright two dots. Great bowling Kevin O'Brien.
Over 10 WICKET PIETERSEN 9 b O'Brien c Mooney England 49-4 Kevin O'Brien brought back and Pietersen smashes first ball but only a single from it. Morgan easily dealing with the deliveries with three off the delivery but then Pietersen tries to go long but finds the safe hand of John Mooney at the boundary.
Over 9 England 45-3 Dockrell back in the attack and Morgan starts to show off some of his shots. Lovely reverse sweep for a boundary. Pietersen chips one over Dockrell's head but falls safe. Seven off the over.
Over 8 England 38-3 Another steady over by Johnston - Niall O'Brien shouting the odds at the English - so much so that Sky have to interrupt to apologise for the chirpy Irishman's choice language. Just three off the over.
Over 7 England 35-3 Morgan arrives to face his old mates as Dockrell bowls to Pietersen. Only three off the over. Great start for the youngster. Morgan gets off the mark with a single
Over 6 ENGLAND 32-3 WICKET COLLINGWOOD 0 c Botha b Johnston Great delivery by Johnston and caught by Botha in the slip as Collingwood goes for a duck.
Over 6 England 32-2 WICKET KIESWETTER RUN OUT Johnston in for his third over. good fielding by Mooney to send Kieswetter back diving bat first as O'Brien breaks the stumps. Tough call for the TV umpire. Big wait for the decision. Great hands by O'Brien. The big OUT on the scoreboard sends Kieswetter back to the bench.
Over 5 England 29-1 WICKET LUMB b K O'Brien c Rankin
Lumb goes off Kevin O'Brien's first delivery - great catch by Rankin at mid wicket. Five off the over. Pietersen next batsman in - looked a bit shaky there starting off.
Over 4 England 24-0 Trent back into attack with some decent deliveries. Worth mentioning that England's two openers are South African born and with Irishman Morgan in there as well, that's a fair chunk of their top order. No mention of that from Atherton in the studio earlier. Although commentator just reminded co-commentator David Llyod that England have seven South Africans. Botha drops one at slip there. Should have caught it as Kieswetter edged past the slip.
Over 3 England 21-0 Rankin back in for second over. Lumb takes another boundary. Rankin struggling with line to the left hander. Better to Kieswetter. First chance for Ireland as Kieswetter miscues one high over the slip Dockrell who gets hands on it but drops it. Very tough catch to be fair. Mooney dives full length to prevent another boundary. GOod over for England scoring nine.
Over 2 England 12-0 Dot to start the over by former captain Trent Johnston into the attack to share the new ball. One of the second and another dot. Great cut down to third man for another boundary for Lumb.
Over 1 England 6-0 Boyd Rankin to Michael Lumb - opening ball helped doen the leg side for an easy four. One off the second bringing Craig Kieswetter into bat. Three great dot balls from Rankin before Lumb grabs a single to get off the mark.
16.30 Just two hours now until the big match as Phil Simmons' Ireland take on the Auld Enemy at the Guyana National Stadium for a place in the Super Eight stage. The West Indies edged past England yesterday thanks to the Duckworth Lewis Method, which gives the Irish another chance to impress following the batting collapse last Friday night against the hosts.
There is a game on at the stadium in Georgetown at the moment with New Zealand about to record a facile victory over Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe put a measley 84 all out on the board, almost as poor as the Irish effort on Friday. And the Black Caps just need 49 runs to win.
16.40 WEATHER REPORT FROM GUYANA Rain has currently stopped play in the New Zealand v Zimbabwe clash and that's not very good news for the Irish. A rained off game would see England progress for their better run rate against the West Indies.
The Sky Sports lads are using the rain break to preview the Ireland v England game. 'Friend of the Irish' Michael Atherton has already written off Phil Simmons' side's chance and expects nothing more than a win for England.
Interestingly, the game will take place on the same track as they are using at the moment for New Zealand v Zimbabwe game. The pitch is showing plenty of turn so maybe that could be a good sign for Ireland's spin attack.
17.50 Covers have just come off in Guyana. New Zealand have been handed a DL win by 7 runs. The outfield in Guyana will not be a problem as the sand-based grass drains in record time. Whether the rain stays away is another matter because once it starts raining in Georgetown it usually stays raining for a day or three.
18.25 About to get going here. Ireland have won the toss and have made the right call by putting England into bat. Ireland team are on the pitch English openers are on the way to the crease.
