Colombo’s monsoonal rain and Dwayne Smith’s butter fingers helped Australia qualify undefeated for the World Twenty20 Super Eights with victory over West Indies in their rain-affected Group B match on Saturday night.

The Windies batted first and smashed 8-191 led by half-centuries from Chris Gayle (54 off 33 balls) and Marlon Samuels (50 from 32 deliveries).

However Australia responded in kind with some savage early batting from David Warner (28 off 14), Shane Watson (41 not out off 24) and Mike Hussey (28 not out off 19).

A downpour halted play about 10pm after Australia had raced to 1-100 from 9.1 overs, 17 runs ahead on the Duckworth/Lewis Method for rain-affected matches.

The match was abandoned half an hour later.

Watson hit two consecutive sixes off Marlon Samuels’ bowling in the eighth over, the second of which should have been caught on the leg-side boundary by Smith who watched the ball rebound off his hands and over the rope on the full.

Earlier, Watson (2-29) and Mitchell Starc (3-35) claimed five wickets between them, as they did in Wednesday’s win over Ireland.

Watson – the man who grassed a difficult diving chance at third man when Gayle was on four – later removed the master blaster caught and bowled.

Watson was named man of the match for the second consecutive game.

Australia will play three matches in their four-team group in the Super Eights, including their first assignment against India next Friday night.