The West Indies [ Images ] entered the Super Eights of the ICC [ Images ] World Twenty20 [ Images ] by virtue of superior net run-rate after their final group league encounter against Ireland was called off due to heavy downpour at the R Premadasa Stadium, on Monday.
Despite both teams finishing with a point each, having lost their respective matches against Australia [ Images ], it was the West Indies who qualified because of a superior run-rate of -- 1.855 to Ireland's 2.092 -- and will be playing the Super Eights against New Zealand [ Images ], England [ Images ] and hosts Sri Lanka [ Images ].
The only worry for Darren Sammy's men is entering the next stage without winning a single match among the eight teams that will be fighting it out in the Super Eights.
A disciplined effort by the West Indies bowlers saw them restrict Ireland to a modest 129 for six in the rain-curtailed final Group B match.
The match was reduced to 19-overs-a-side affair after steady drizzle delayed the proceedings by 50 minutes.
Chris Gayle [ Images ] was the most successful bowler, with figures of two for 21, while Ravi Rampaul, captain Darren Sammy, Fidel Edwards [ Images ] and Sunil Narine got a wicket apiece after the West Indies opted to field.
Ireland captain William Porterfield was again out to the very first ball of the match. After Shane Watson [ Images ] got rid off him with a perfect bouncer in their last game, it was Fidel Edwards's turn to clean him up with a lethal yorker that he failed to dig out.
Paul Stirling (19) and Ed Joyce (17) then hit a few lusty blows as Ireland reached 33 for one after five overs when steady drizzle stopped play.
After a break of nearly an hour, the proceedings started again and off-spinner Narine removed Joyce. It was an off-break that saw the left-hander getting bowled round his feet.
Stirling, who was in a mood to hit every ball out of sight, tried to pull one from Sammy but only offered a simple catch to Gayle at mid-wicket.
At 37 for three, Niall O'Brien and Gary Wilson got together and added 33 for the fourth wicket before a bowling change by Sammy did the trick.
Gayle was brought in to bowl his fast off-breaks. Wilson, who scored 21, with the help of three boundaries, went for an ambitious cut shot but only edged one to Denesh Ramdin [ Images ] behind the stumps.
The O'Brien brothers then got together. Niall played a hook shot off Andre Russell's bowling that fetched him a six, while Kevin lofted a length delivery from Edwards over long-off.
At 96 for 4, it was Gayle, who bowled an accurate delivery right in the blockhole to Niall that disturbed his off-stump. The Irish batsman scored 25 off 21 balls with the help of a solitary six.
Kevin followed suit when his pre-meditated shuffle outside the off-stump to a Rampaul delivery saw his off-stump uprooted.
Nigel Jones (14) and Trent Johnston (15) then added 22 runs for the unbroken seventh-wicket partnership to take Ireland forward.
Photograph: Gareth Copley/Getty Images
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