Due to a week of record rainfall in Florida, Ireland’s match against the USA in the T20 World Cup has been abandoned, leading to their exit from the tournament. Scotland had suffered two losses in New York, firstly against India and then Canada, which meant a victory against both the Americas and Pakistan was essential to progress to the Super Eights. However, the onslaught of rain in Lauderhill has secured qualification for the USA and India as the frontrunners of the table.
Sunday will still see a game between Ireland and Pakistan, though both teams are out of the running for advancement. Southern Florida’s weather has been persistently stormy throughout the week, causing potential issues for Ireland’s matches. The bout on Tuesday between Nepal and Sri Lanka at Broward County Stadium was also a victim to the adverse weather, as Fort Lauderdale experienced unprecedented daily rainfall. This lead to a state of emergency being declared and residents were advised to stay home due to flood alerts.
Wednesday and Thursday faced further storms, preventing the pitch from drying before Friday’s game. Original schedules were quickly restated as officials arrived at the wet field. Inspections every hour from 11.30, were undertaken to allow as much drying time as possible. The western section of the field was particularly problematic due to its different soil composition causing puddles, requiring the ground staff’s significant input.
During the 1.15 inspection, a lightning warning resulted in officials seeking shelter. The downpour started soon after and it was officially confirmed that the match was cancelled without a single ball being bowled.
This result, and the progression of the USA, gives a substantial boost to cricket in this region and to the tournament organisers. Aiming to make inroads into the American sports market, a successful USA campaign will likely attract more viewers due to the novelty factor. With more media interest as the tournament progresses, securing a spot at the Super Eights also guarantees USA participation in the next T20 World Cup in 2026.
Following their final inconsequential match against Pakistan, the Irish team will embark on their journey home this Monday. One cannot deny that their recent campaign turned out to be quite unimpressive and anticlimactic, much of it due to a solitary poor performance, accentuated by circumstances beyond their control, leading to their premature departure.
Despite claims in the run-up to the tournament asserting that this was one of the most proficient T20 teams Ireland had assembled in recent times, they got off to a discouraging start. They were made to bat first on an ill-prepared pitch against a formidable Indian squad, a victory against whom seemed unlikely from the onset. A below-standard contest against Canada further tarnished their performance. Additionally, trekking to Florida during its rainy season with two mandatory victories added a dimension of uncertainty to their campaign.
Upon returning, Ireland will be seen in action only towards July-end as they play host to Zimbabwe for a rarely held Test match at Stormont.