Cricket: England advance after washout

PROVIDENCE - England advanced to the Super Eights stage of the World Twenty20 today after rain caused its decisive Group D match against Ireland to be called off at the Guyana National Stadium.

The `no result' after two rain interruptions meant that England and Ireland both ended the preliminary round on one point - but England advanced due to a better net run rate.

The West Indies won the group after defeating both England and Ireland.

Ireland had restricted England to 120-8 off 20 overs, but the rain started to fall soon after the Irish went in to bat.

Ireland initially reached 4-0 off 1.2 overs before rain briefly halted play the first time. The team returned to move on to 14-1 off 3.3 overs before the second and final rain delay.

Irish-born Eoin Morgan, playing against his former teammates, had held together the England innings with 45 off 37 balls.

Kevin O'Brien (2-22) and Boyd Rankin (2-25) sparkled for Ireland. Trent Johnston conceded just 14 runs from his four overs and claimed the prized wicket of England captain Paul Collingwood.

England openers Michael Lumb (14) and Craig Kiewswetter (13) shared a stand of 24 off 24 balls.

But the middle order couldn't cope with a sluggish pitch and a fired-up Ireland attack.

England slumped to 49-4 in the 10th over before Morgan and Luke Wright (20 off 24 balls) revived the innings in a run-a-ball stand of 41 for the fifth wicket.

- AP