THE World Twenty20 Qualifier promised drama and it delivered some extraordinary suspense last night as Ireland scraped into today's semi-finals.

The dreaded Duckworth/Lewis system came to haunt the tournament at Stormont when a massive rain shower ruined the hosts' final Group A match against Bermuda and left Ireland, who had been struggling badly when the break came, staring down the barrel of a humiliating upset.

In the end, Bermuda needed to score only 46 from eight overs to eliminate the hosts but some inspired bowling by man of the match Peter Connell, Andre Botha and Alex Cusack saw them fall short.

Ireland squeaked home by four runs and will return to the ground first thing this morning to tackle Kenya, with the first place at next year's finals in England at stake. Win and they will move on to tomorrow's final; lose and they will take on Scotland or Netherlands in a third-placed play-off.

A schedule of 11 games into four days in Northern Ireland was always destined for disruption, and when the teams left the field because of torrential rain at 5.15 they would not return for another two hours.

By then, the tannoy announcer had told the lingering spectators that the match would be reduced to nine overs a side. Given that they had already batted for eight, Ireland only had six balls to add to their paltry score of 41-4.

In the dim evening the batsmen tried in vain to swipe some boundaries and ended up losing three wickets in the over, adding only two runs to finish on 43-7.

Bermuda's target was to score 46 off nine overs to win the game, but to finish ahead of Ireland in the standings and qualify along with Scotland, they would have to win inside eight overs.

The Irish were raging at the turn of events but from the very first ball of the reply, they took control of their destiny. Peter Connell caused Christopher Foggo to get a top edge and substitute fielder Thinus Fourie ran back from short fine leg to take a good catch.

Two balls later, Bermuda were 0-2 when David Hemp, the Glamorgan captain, edged Connell to Niall O'Brien. Andre Botha dropped a fierce catching chance and after Fourie spilled a more regulation chance above his head, it was 12-2 off two overs.

Stephen Outerbridge soon fell to Connell, lbw to a ball that barely left the ground, but two wides helped Bermuda get six off the over. The introduction of Botha to the attack had a predictable effect, though, and Niall O'Brien's smart work behind the stumps saw James Celestine stumped.

Botha then made it 25-5 with a slower ball disguised in the fading light and Alex Cusack stopped a hard drive in mid-air with his boot to leave Bermuda needing 18 off one over to keep their dreams of England alive.

Trent Johnston was the bowler and when he delivered a wide, the batsmen stupidly ran and Jekon Edness was caught yards short at the non-striker's end. George O'Brien responded with a six off his legs but next ball he went for another and Connell held the catch at the second attempt.

That killed off Bermuda's hopes, but they could still win the match and consign Ireland to second place in the group. But Kevin O'Brien refused to buckle and only four more runs came.

Asked how he felt about the D/L method leaving Ireland with only one more over to bat, Ireland coach Phil Simmons said: 'It was harsh. But Duckworth/Lewis is always harsh. At the end of the day they said nine overs so we had to work with nine.

'With any other team in the competition it would have been difficult [to defend 46], but Bermuda have two main batters and once we got Hemp so early, it was always going to be a struggle for them. The way PC has bowled yesterday and today, he has been exceptional.'

Ireland's troubles had begun in the early evening when Niall O'Brien was caught superbly by Oliver Pitcher at mid-off, the fielder leaping high to his left and pouching the ball one-handed, to gasps from around the ground.

Bermuda were lifted and they quickly made further inroads. William Porterfield continued a week of low scores as he played across the line to Stefan Kelly and was given out lbw.

By the fifth over, the hosts were 22 for four. Kevin O'Brien had smashed Kelly for four but the big all-rounder aimed to do the same to his namesake George and lost his middle stump. More astonishing was the sight of Andre Botha following him back to the tent in the same over, bowled by the same man.

The situation was not yet drastic, but it was about to get worse and male fans were left squirming in their seats at the sight of Andrew White taking a nauseating blow to the abdomen.

White had started comfortably, pinching a single and then flicking Kelly for four, but walked down the wicket again and was caught square between the legs.

After several minutes of trying to recover, the experienced Northerner had to be helped off the field by physio Kieran O'Reilly.

Gary Wilson and Cusack were just warming into the recovery when a huge cloud emptied its contents over Stormont, sending everyone but the ground staff racing for cover and setting up a somewhat farcical, but absolutely gripping climax.