Morgan shines in rain-affected contest

England inched their way into the Super Eights after a tense washed-out contest at Providence, as the same Guyana weather that had contributed to their downfall against West Indies came to their aid in a fraught and low-scoring contest against the underdogs of Ireland.

It was a cruel way for Ireland's campaign to come to an end, because on a slow and cracked surface, their battery of medium-pacers had forced England to scrap for each and every single. And, in an ironic twist, the only man who came close to mastering the requirements was none other than the former Irishman, Eoin Morgan, who stood firm with a determined 45 from 37 balls.

Morgan did what he could in the trying circumstances after the loss of early wickets, clipping Alex Cusack through short fine leg before bludgeoning Dockrell through midwicket, but at the other end, Luke Wright found the conditions especially tough to negotiate, and Dockrell tied him in knots in a masterful fourth over, consisting of five dot-balls in a row followed by a wild top-edged mow that landed in no-man's land for a single.

Morgan's knock comprised five fours and it was his 41-run association with Wright that helped England get towards three figures, and eventually to 120. He blended caution with invention as he held England's innings together. In reply, Ireland were 14 for 1 before rain intervened and England got through to the Super Eights based on their superior net run-rate.