NED V OMA
The first international match between Oman and Netherlands was washed out, without a ball being bowled, after persistent rain left large puddles on the field in Dharamsala. The result meant that Netherlands, who had launched themselves to the tournament proper in the previous World Twenty20 with a stirring run-chase, were knocked out, just two matches into their campaign this year.
Oman, coming off a proper high, having scalped Associate favourites Ireland on Wednesday, however, remained in the hunt for the Super 10s, with three points from two games. The two sides shared points, after the match was abandoned at 4.48pm local time, an hour before the cut-off time.
It had rained during the morning and overnight as well, leaving the groundstaff with an uphill task. Rain, however, had relented at 2.45pm, which was just enough for the coin to go up. Oman's Sultan Ahmed, the oldest captain in the tournament, opted to bowl, explaining that his decision was motivated by overhead conditions.
Minutes after the toss, when the players were preparing to line up for the national anthems, rain returned, forcing the covers back on. The groundstaff, in fact, covered the entire playing area. Rain, though, only got heavier, and had the final say.
Netherlands captain Peter Borren was left despondent after his team's campaign ended: "For it to end like this after having lost to Bangladesh in a closely-fought game, we are gutted, he said. "We could done a lot of things better in that game, it will haunt us for a while. We don't get a lot of opportunities at this stage. As someone says, our next chance could be in four years time."
The forecast for the second match of the day, between Bangladesh and Ireland, also looks bleak.
BAN V IRE
Ireland were knocked out of the World T20, after persistent rain resulted in another washout against Bangladesh in Dharamsala. Play was called off at 10:20pm local time, after rain had stopped the game after eight overs in the Bangladesh innings.
This result means the Bangladesh-Oman encounter on Saturday will decide who goes through from Group A, with both teams on three points each while the Netherlands and Ireland are on one point each.
The match was always at the mercy of the weather after rain forced the Oman-Netherlands game earlier in the afternoon to be abandoned. Rain had stopped at around 7:30pm and allowed the match to start at 9:45pm, but it relented for just over an hour.
Bangladesh's innings started like it did against Netherlands, with a dropped catch of Soumya Sarkar in the first over. This time it was Andy McBrine who spilled the chance at deep midwicket. McBrine also conceded four overthrows in the next over before Tamim Iqbal took to the Ireland bowlers with muscular hits.
In the same over, he walked across to the off side to swing Boyd Rankin for a whipped six over fine leg before bunting him down the ground for four to get 16 runs from the over. Bangladesh were quickly up and running.
Tim Murtagh was also hit for a six over mid-off, and four through the covers in the next over. Soumya then struck three fours off Kevin O'Brien, an over that went for 19, the second of which was dropped by Rankin at mid-off. The third boundary was a scoop which completed Bangladesh's first fifty-plus opening stand in two years.
Tamim welcomed McBrine into the bowling attack with a straight blast for six before the offspinner had Soumya Sarkar stumped for 20 off 13 balls. Bangladesh were 63 for 1 in five overs before George Dockrell, who replaced Craig Young, was reverse swept for four off his first ball. Tamim survived a stumping chance off the next delivery before Sabbir Rahman slammed McBrine for a straight six in the next over.
Tamim struck his fourth six in the eight over and three balls later was caught by the Ireland captain William Porterfield at short midwicket, having made 47 off 26 balls with three fours and four sixes.
Rain, accompanied by lightning, interrupted play again as Tamim trudged off, depriving Ireland of a shot to redeem themselves.
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