A lot hinges on the
USA vs Ireland
game in Group A of the
T20 World Cup
on Friday, but the flood situation in Florida and forecast for more spells of heavy rain threaten to wash out the game, which works in favour of the home team.
The three remaining matches in Group A are all scheduled to be held at the Central Broward Regional Park Stadium Turf Ground in Lauderhill, Florida.
It is one of the three stadiums in the US hosting some of the group-stage matches of the T20 World Cup. The other two venues are in New York and Dallas.
T20 WORLD CUP: Schedule | Points Table
On Friday, USA find themselves on the brink of another history-making moment with a chance to progress to the 'Super 8s' stage in their debut appearance in the T20 World Cup, and the inclement weather in Florida can make the equation even simpler.
If the game gets washed out, USA will move to five points and finish at No. 2 to join group-leaders India as the two teams to enter the 'Super 8s'. That will leave the remaining two matches of the group in Florida -- India vs Canada (June 15) and
Pakistan
vs Ireland (June 16) -- meaningless.
However, if weather allows a result-oriented game on Friday and Ireland manage to beat the US, it will breathe new life into Pakistan's campaign. The Babar Azam-led team will then have to beat Ireland, which will take Pakistan through to the next stage in the tournament, edging out USA on net run-rate.
For the third day in a row, a line of storms spanning from the west to the east coast of Florida brought heavy rainfall and flooding to certain areas on Thursday, increasing the risk of flash flooding into the evening hours -- according to an AP report.
Meteorologists have cautioned residents of Florida to brace for more flash flooding following a tropical disturbance that brought up to 20 inches (50 centimeters) of rain to the southern regions of the state. The situation is anticipated to deteriorate on Friday.
Heavy rainfall on Wednesday caused flash flooding from Fort Lauderdale to downtown Miami.
Forecasters predict higher rainfall totals, with an additional 4 to 8 inches expected and the possibility of some areas receiving over 10 inches.
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