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For those fans with a penchant for the long game (in this case world championship snooker) over the short form we should explain that, after England set a cracking total of 191-5, rain stopped play with the West Indies on 33-0 in their third over.

Play resumed after a long break with the Windies needing the bizarre total of 30 runs off 22 balls to win the game, which they duly did with a ball to spare, provoking anger in the England camp. The hosts are now through to the Super 8 stage of the competition while England must beat Ireland today to progress.

The Duckworth Lewis calculation that arrived at this total – as The Nurdler understands things – was skewed by the fact that Ryan Sidebottom conceded a rather expensive 15 runs off the first over bowled, thus making things rather easier for WI than they might otherwise have been

This has highlighted an issue of whether or not the Duckworth Lewis Method is fit for purpose when it comes to Twenty20 cricket. People who know what they are talking about say otherwise, and The Nurdler is not arguing with them.

However we are also having trouble getting too worked up over last night’s result. And here’s why.

It is hard to ignore the fact that the Windies were making an excellent fist of things before the rain set in, with openers Gayle and Chanderpaul on 33-0 after less than three overs. While a total of 191 will indeed be defensible in most Twenty20 circumstances it would be very unwise to assume that the West Indies were already beaten.

Also The Nurdler is personally guilty of the supporters’ sin of praying for rain, doing rain dances round the room and begging the heavens to open when England are in trouble. Having seen our team profit royally from this (Edgbaston 2009 in particular springs to mind) it is very hard to sit here with a straight face and complain when others gain advantage from the weather.

Thirdly, how has this actually changed things? Anyone studying the form book for group D would have to conclude that the two teams going through would be England and the West Indies. While performance on the day is everything in Twenty20, and England were on the receiving end of a monumental upset at the hands of the Dutch last year, the chances are that this will still happen.

And the Duckworth Lewis Method will have had no real impact on the outcome of the contest.

Finally, we are delighted that the hosts have qualified safely for the next stage. The West Indies have a lot riding on this tournament. It has the opportunity to revitalise their troubled national cricket team and blot out of the collective memory the unsuccessful 2007 World Cup. Also the Nurdler is still capable of becoming incensed at the sheer injustice visited on Caribbean cricket by the fraud, hubris and wickedness of Allen Stanford.

West Indies Chris Gayle was the epitome of a sportsman in his remarks following last night’s match, saying he supported Paul Collingwood’s call for a review of the system and could imagine himself in the identical postion. Even though the hand has been dealt in the other direction the last two times Duckworth Lewis has been invoked in England-West Indies matches.

Here’s the thing about sport. It’s about what happens on the pitch, on the night. It can’t be made perfect, or perfectly fair. Sometimes the decisions go with you, sometimes they go against. That’s sport.

Well done, West Indies. Now, let’s get on with qualifying for the Super 8s.

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