Rain ended Ireland’s final match at the Women’s T20 World Cup prematurely but the loss of two wickets in the first over settled their fate.

India progressed to the semi-finals but they had only five runs to spare when the rain arrived in the ninth over – Ireland would have won with just one wicket down -and captain Laura Delany admitted that she had had not even looked at the DLS par total, which settles rain affected matches.

Amy Hunter was run out first ball, going for a non-existent second  and Orla Prendergast was bowled fourth ball, but Gaby Lewis and Delany had added 53 and were looking good at the interruption.

However, they hadn’t help themselves in the first innings with four more dropped catches, three of them off opener Smriti Mandhana who stayed until the 19th over, hitting nine fours and three sixes in her 87.

Prendergast followed up with another wicket next ball, conceding only five runs in the over while Delany’s three wickets included India’s ‘finisher’ Richa Ghosh for a second-ball duck as the bowlers stuck to their task.

Scores; India 155-6 (20 overs, S Mandhana 87; L Delany 3-33, O Prendergast 2-22) Ireland 54-2 (8.2 overs, G Lewis 32 not out; L Delany 17 not out). India won by 5 runs (DLS).