Cricket: Black Caps' Twenty20 World Cup clash with Afghanistan washed out

Ground staff cover the pitch due to a rain delay at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Photo / Getty

The Black Caps' clash against Afghanistan at the T20 World Cup has been abandoned due to rain.

New Zealand were set to play their second pool match of the tournament tonight but persistent showers at the Melbourne Cricket Ground saw the game washed out without a ball being bowled.

The Black Caps and Afghanistan each earned a point from the no result, providing a minor setback for Gary Stead's side. New Zealand would have been targeting victory over the minnows but missing out on one point shouldn't prove overly costly to their chances of progressing to the semifinals.

The point they did gain lifted the Black Caps to three and left them on top of group one after each of the six nations had completed two matches.

The washout came after New Zealand thrashed Australia in their opening game, with the hosts then resurrecting their tournament by beating Sri Lanka. Those two nations are joined on two points by England and Ireland, whose clash earlier on Wednesday produced the biggest upset so far in the Super 12.

That match at the MCG was also interrupted by rain, with England losing out on the Duckworth-Lewis System, and the weather in Melbourne never looked like improving enough to allow the Black Caps to take the field.

Their next game is set for Saturday night, when they will face Sri Lanka at the Sydney Cricket Ground.