COLOMBO: Former champions Australia were eliminated from the Twenty20 World Cup on Tuesday after persistent rain forced the abandonment of Zimbabwe’s Group B match against Ireland in Pallekele, sending Zimbabwe through to the Super Eight stage.
The washout earned Zimbabwe one point, lifting them to second in the group on five points, one behind leaders Sri Lanka, who secured qualification with an eight-wicket win over Australia on Monday
.Zimbabwe had already dealt Australia a decisive blow last week, stunning the 2021 champions by 23 runs to leave them needing results elsewhere to stay alive — a scenario undone by the weather.
The toss, scheduled for 1430 local time (0900 GMT), was delayed with covers in place at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, before officials ruled about three hours later that no play would be possible due to persistent rain.
