Unrelenting rain forced another washout at the MCG with umpires calling off the T20 World Cup match between Ireland and Afghanistan without a ball being bowled.
For Afghanistan, it was their second consecutive washout following the abandonment of their match against New Zealand meaning they still sit at the bottom of the table in Group 1, having lost the only game against England in which they managed to take the field.
Ireland, meanwhile, will be left disappointed as they were coming into the match on the back of their unlikely win over England which was also affected by rain.
The tie leaves them second in the Group with three points with their sole loss coming against Sri Lanka in their first Super 12 fixture.
Afghanistan will now take on Sri Lanka next while Ireland faces the defending champions Australia next in the T20 World Cup.
Meanwhile, the world’s attention now turns to Australia vs England which is set to take place at the same venue. With rain still persisting, it could end up in a second cancelled match of the day.
Both England and Australia are in need of a positive result from the fixture to keep their semifinal hopes in their own hands. Both sides have two points from their two games with England ahead of the champions due to a better net run rate.
