Heavy rain and thunderstorms forced the cancellation of the fourth and final round of the WGC-World Cup of golf and India stayed at the ninth position, the best among the five Asian countries at the prestigious competition.

Wales were adjudged winners as the final day was washed out on the Algarve. Stephen Dodd and Bradley Dredge of Wales were two strokes ahead of England's [Images] Luke Donald and David Howell and Sweden's Niclas Fasth and Henrik Stenson at the end of the third round at the Victoria Clube De Golf course.

Jyoti Randhawa, last year's Volvo Masters of Asia champion, together with Arjun Atwal, who clinched the Carlsberg Malysian Open in 2003, had braved the cold and wet conditions to raise their game on the third day with a seven-under par 65 in fourball in the third round.

They remained at ninth place, in what was India's best ever showing in the World Cup.

India (18-under) finished best among the Asian nations, while Chinese Taipei at 17-under were tenth. South Korea was tied 12th at 16-under and Japan [Images] was 15th at 15-under.

Singapore tied for 20th at 13-under.

Dodd and Dredge, who were 27-under-par following Saturday's fourball format, collected USD 700,000 apiece after organisers decided to pay out full prize money for the 54-hole World Golf Championship event.

It was the second World Cup triumph for Wales, who also won in Hawaii in 1987.

The last time a World Cup was badly hit by the weather was at Las Brisas, Spain in 1989 when Australians Wayne Grady and Peter Fowler won a 36-hole tournament.

Despite their good score, the Indians were only ninth in the standings, as the tournament progressed to a close finish. The Indians were 18-under for three days after rounds of 60, 73 and 65 on three days at the Victoria Clube de Golfe in Vilamoura.

The Indians played well in the third round getting birdies on each of the four par-fives besides three more. "A couple of smaller putts did not fall, or else things would have been much better," said Atwal, former Asian No. 1 in 2003.

The Arnold Palmer-designed course has held up well in the cold, rainy weather where the players were allowed to lift, clean and place their balls in the fairways.