World Twenty20: Ireland's chances are washed away by rain in Colombo

Ireland 129-6 West Indies (Match abandoned)

The umpires admit defeat and call off the match in the pouring rain of Colombo (Getty Images)

West Indies will be England's first Super Eight opponents, after rain prevented a result in last night's final ICC World Twenty20 Group B match against Ireland at the Premadasa Stadium.

The Irish were cruelly denied a chance to win through to face England at Pallekele on Thursday, as rain wiped out West Indies' chase of 129 for 6. The Windies therefore qualify for the second stage, in second place behind Australia. Both they and Ireland lost to Australia, but West Indies recorded a superior run rate in doing so.

On a rainy night in Colombo, Ireland's workmanlike innings was interrupted when bad weather first intervened after five overs – and reduced the contest at that stage to 19 per side.

Ireland's captain, William Porterfield, was already gone, for his second golden duck of the tournament to the first ball of the innings, when he could not stop a Fidel Edwards yorker disturbing middle stump.

Put in after Darren Sammy won the toss, everyone else in the Ireland order from two to eight made double figures - but no one more than Niall O'Brien's 25 in an innings which set the West Indies a near par target, before rain returned.

The weather did not relent, and Ireland were therefore disappointingly knocked out without bowling a ball.