Ireland are out of the World Twenty20 after their second Group match, against Bangladesh in Dharamsala on Friday evening, was abandoned after just 8 overs play were possible in total. The contest finished with the picturesque ground lit up by regular flashes of lightning with the players, officials and a sprinkling of spectators forced to take shelter from yet more heavy rain.

William Porterfield's men needed a win to keep alive any hopes of survival alive ahead of Sunday's final contest with The Netherlands. Following the earlier abandonment of the game involving the Dutch and Oman it looked as though they might get their chance as well when the elements cleared in time to start a 12-over contest at 9.15 in the evening, local time.

Tamim drives past Boyd Rankin for four

The Ireland skipper won the toss as well and had little hesitation in asking the Tigers to bat first, but unfortunately for Porterfield, his side was to struggle very badly in the field.

The impressive Tamim Iqbal and fellow opener Soumya Sarkar were well marshalled by Tim Murtagh in a first over that went for just 4 runs but the wheels had already started to come off for the bowling side.

Andy McBrine spilled a difficult chance to remove Soumya from the fourth ball and in the next over, from Boyd Rankin; an over-throw for 4 was followed by 10 runs off the next two deliveries to Tamim.

Heads seemed to drop and the mood wasn't helped in the 3rd when Rankin was unable to hold a sharp chance to catch Soumya off Kevin O'Brien.

After 4 overs Bangladesh had raced to 52-0 with Tamim leading the charge before the breakthrough came in the next- McBrine having Soumya stumped by Niall O'Brien for 20 (3 fours) in a partnership worth 61.

George Dockrell, in the side for the unlucky Craig Young, was next to try his luck and having been swept by Tamim for 4 first ball, Dockrell really should have had his man off the next as O'Brien missed a gilt-edged stumping opportunity.

Tamim continued on the attack, finally hitting 4 sixes and 3 fours in a 26-ball 47 before Dockrell was rewarded by having him caught by Porterfield at mid-on, rather tamely given what had gone on before.

And that was the signal for the lightning to crack again with more rain not far behind- Bangladesh on 94-2 after 8 when the players left the arena for the final time.

Had they got back on, Ireland would have been asked to score 72 from 5 overs, but the chance never came.

A damp squib in more ways than one for Ireland this, leaving the skipper to rue Wednesday's defeat as they contemplated Sunday's "dead rubber" against the Dutch.

George Dockrell bowling

"It makes the loss against Oman even harder to take after this" said a very downbeat Porterfield.

"It's obviously very disappointing knowing we're now out of the competition and that's the hardest thing to take for ourselves".

"We missed a few opportunities in the field today but we've prided ourselves on our standards in that department and it's something we've been pretty good at. Obviously we would have wanted to be a bit sharper but it paled into insignificance once the weather came unfortunately".