D/L rule not fit for Twenty20: Collingwood

England put together one of their best batting displays in recent times to score an imposing 191 for five but lost the match as the D/L method put the game beyond their reach in the rain-interrupted second half.

Rain intervened after 2.2 overs with the West Indies at 30 for no loss. When play resumed, the target was reset to 60 from six overs as per the D/L method.  The home team had no trouble in knocking off 30 runs in the remaining 22 balls to move into the Super Eights. England now face a do-or-die battle against Ireland Wednesday.

"Ninety-five percent of the time you would defend 191," said Collingwood.

"Unfortunately the Duckworth-Lewis had other ideas and brought the equation completely the other way and made it very difficult for us. There is a major problem with it in this format of the game. I've no problem with it in 50 overs but in this format it has to be revised.

"It's made me very frustrated tonight because I've come off the losing captain, but it's certainly got to be revised in this form," Collingwood said.
 
The first match Monday between Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe was also settled by D/L method. Zimbabwe was the unlucky team there as they were found 14 runs short via the D/L calculations.

Even West Indies Chris Gayle agreed with Collingwood. "I would support what Collingwood said. I could have been in the same position as well. It's something that can be addressed. I am happy, but it's just unfortunate for England."

Collingwood could not believe they were again at the receiving end of the D/L method after feeling the rain-heat at home nine month back in World Twenty20, also at the hands of the West Indies.

"I'm trying to take the emotion out of that defeat to be honest with you," he said. "It's the second time it's happened to us against West Indies, so it's very frustrating for the boys because we've played a near-perfect game and still lost."
 
Gayle said they were prepared for the D/L method to decide the match and that's why went for runs right from the start. "We knew that the weather was going to play a part, so the first five overs, obviously, can determine the game," Gayle said.
 
"We decided to go out and see what we could get out of the first five overs. The target was actually 43, I think, at one stage and the adaption went in our favour. After the rain we knew we were most likely to win the game from there on."
 
Only five overs constitues a rain-hit Twenty20 match and more often the team batting second benefits."I'm not a mathematician, I don't really know what the equation should be, but your backs are certainly against the wall when it's like that," said Collingwood.

"I think that's what the equation is built around in the one-day format. Unfortunately there's probably not enough games," Collingwood said.
 
England's debutant openers Michael Lumb (28) and Craig Kieswetter (26) gave England a good start before Eoin Morgan (55) and Luke Wright (45) capitalised on it and Collingwood is taking solace from their performance.

"For the two guys to make their debut and show the confidence they did, it put the opposition under a lot of pressure and I thought all the guys played perfectly. There was a lot of power there."