Ireland added another famous World Cup victory over England to go with their 2011 stunner thanks to a brilliant five run win in Melbourne.
England were stuffed out of sight by a combination of Ireland's own brilliance, their lacklustre and frankly poor display with bat and ball, and the Melbourne weather which reared its head with 5.3 overs left to play.
Moeen Ali was doing his best to try and get England ahead on the Duckworth Lewis Stern target, which stood at 111 when the players went off, but he and his team had left it too little too late having lost so many wickets.
So at 105-5 and with the cut off time approaching the umpire’s had no choice but to call it off as the rain continued to fall heavily at the MCG. And unlike at the T20 World Cup in 2010 when the rain cost Ireland as England progressed in Guyana, this time the boot is on the other foot and it has blown Group 1 wide open.
The men in green were full value for their win on a day when England admitted to lacking intensity and boy did it cost them. "We were a long way short with the ball in the first 10 overs," said captain Jos Buttler.
"We were too inconsistent and Ireland showed us how to bowl on that wicket. Ireland outplayed us in all three facets of the game. The better team won today."
"I'm a bit disappointed in the performance," added fast bowler Mark Wood. "I thought for the first 10 overs we were a bit flat, lacked intensity. I think we weren’t at our best today. 157 seemed a good score. We gave them too many four balls.
"A big stadium and a small crowd, so we didn't have the intensity of a large crowd. I didn't think I bowled that well today. I struggled a little bit, it was a bit wet and greasy. I'm happy I managed to get three wickets, but I thought we could have done better."
While Ireland skipper Andy Balbirnie led the way for his side with 62 from 47 balls, despite copping the odd blow from Wood, Buttler had a shocker with a second ball duck setting the tone for the attempted chase of 158.
The Irish bowlers were almost ideally suited to the conditions, making it hard for England to time the ball, and despite a rebuilding job from Dawid Malan and Harry Brook, Ireland kept chipping away and the task became too great.
What England would have given for an innings from someone reminiscent of Kevin O'Brien's 113 from that incredible night back in Bangalore over a decade ago. Moeen threatened to provide just that as he swatted 24 not out from 12 balls. One more lusty blow for six would have changed the results, but the rain had the final say.
In the first innings Ireland had started so brightly, racing to 103-1, but spluttered to 157 all out, as they lost 9-54 and 7-25 with four balls left unused. They did though have a score that their bowlers could make a decent stab at defending, and when England were reduced to 14-2 and 29-3, Irish hopes could only soar.
Josh Little was outstanding up front, bowling with decent pace and huge skill, but both Buttler and Alex Hales had plenty to do with their dismissals, playing flat footed wild swings at the ball and getting caught as a result.
There was nothing fortunate about Fionn Hand's dismissal of Ben Stokes though as he nipped an absolute beauty back through the gate to knock over the middle stump. Yorkshire duo Malan and Brook had to dig in, and the moment they tried to go on the attack against George Dockrell they came unstuck with two dropped chances in his first over before Gareth Delany finally held onto a catch in the deep to remove Brook for 18.
When Malan was the last to fall for 35 from 37 balls, the equation ended up proving too stiff to overcome and Ireland were deserved winners. Earlier Livingstone had produced the goods with the ball, taking 3-17 when he hadn't expected to bowl at all.
But such had been the Irish destruction of Chris Woakes, taking 41 from his three overs, England had to adapt. They fought back well with the ball in the end to bowl Ireland out for 157, but it turned out that they didn’t fight back quite well enough.
