Rob Smyth's Blog, page 157

June 17, 2017

Russia 2-0 New Zealand: Confederations Cup 2017 – as it happened

Denis Glushakov and Fedor Smolov scored as Russia won comfortably in the opening match of the Confederations Cup

5.53pm BST

Marinovic makes an excellent save from Bukharov’s close-range shot, the last action of the match. It’s been a good day for the hosts Russia, who were comfortable winners over New Zealand and played some nice football at times. Any player in the world would have been happy with Dmitry Poloz’s adroit assist for the first goal, scored by Denis Glushakov. We’ll learn a lot more about Russia on Wednesday, when they play the European champions Portugal. Thanks for your company, bye!

5.48pm BST

89 min Smolov, who has had a superb second half, hits a good low shot from 20 yards that is saved by the plunging Marinovic.

5.44pm BST

84 min Almost a third for Russia. Smolov moves away from Tuiloma with ease on the left and slides a low ball right across the face of goal. Bukharov just couldn’t reach it.

5.40pm BST

80 min Smith is lucky not to be booked for a thoroughly inept hack at Smolov.

5.38pm BST

78 min From the resulting corner, Smith’s header is kicked off the line by Zhirkov!

5.37pm BST

77 min A long throw is headed away to Thomas, who controls it and belts a lovely half-volley towards goal from 25 yards. Akinfeev springs spectacularly to his left to push it away.

5.36pm BST

77 min A Russia substitution: Tarasov replaces Erokhin.

5.36pm BST

75 min New Zealand put together a long passing move, probably their best of the match. Eventually Tuiloma’s cross is half cleared to Thomas, who chests the ball down on the edge of the area and then, anticipating a hit that never comes, falls over and loses possession.

5.31pm BST

71 min Another NZ substitution: Shane Smeltz replaces Marco Rojas, who did not live up to his ‘Kiwi Messi’ tag.

5.30pm BST

Fyodor Smolov starts and finishes the move that seals victory for Russia. He moved confidently away from Thomas in the centre circle and ran to within 25 yards of goal before playing an insouciant pass wide to Samedov. He slid a low first-time ball across goal, Boxall miskicked his attempted clearance and Smolov stabbed the ball into an open net at the far post.

5.27pm BST

67 min This hasn’t quite been a contender for the Joy of Six: 1-0 thrashings, but it has been very one-sided. Russia have improved as the game has gone on, with Golovin and Poloz their most impressive attackers.

5.23pm BST

64 min A Russia substitution: the impressive Poloz is replaced by Aleksandr Bukharov.

5.22pm BST

62 min A New Zealand substitution: Bill Tuiloma of Marseille replaces Barbarbarbarbarouses. Russia eventually take the free-kick that was awarded sometime last year, and Samedov curls it just over the bar. I think Marinovic had it covered.

5.20pm BST

61 min The increasingly influential Golovin is fouled 25 yards from goal. We tend to associate Russia with neat, precise passing but today they have had a lot of success with crosses.

5.19pm BST

60 min New Zealand have offered very little in open play. Rojas and Barbarouses, the apparently lively forwards, have struggled to get on the ball.

5.19pm BST

58 min “As a left-leaning, politically conscious newspaper, why is the Guardian not boycotting the Confederations Cup (and next year’s World Cup) on human rights grounds?” says Ian Plenderleith. “How can you justify covering games in stadiums where, according to Human Rights Watch, 17 workers have died, and several thousand have been employed under exploitative conditions? Wouldn’t it be worthwhile for at least one media outlet to take a stance against the dissent-crushing Putin government? Just wondering at what point stamping on human rights becomes more important than football.”

Yes, that’s an interesting point. It’s a pretty complex issue, such is the personal nature of morality, and I don’t know whether it was discussed. You need plenty of courage and conviction to do something like that.

5.15pm BST

56 min It looks like the goal has now gone down as a Michael Boxall own goal.

5.13pm BST

54 min “Hey hey!” says Danny Androutsos. “Kiwi in Moscow here. Watching at home on a bad stream with American commentary. Weird. Conflicted between watching the rest of this and heading off to a work poker night...”

Work poker night? You mean it’s possible to work with people you actually want to see outside the office?

5.13pm BST

53 min Russia have looked bright and breezy since half-time. Golovin goes on a lovely surge through midfield before carefully teeing up Poloz on the left of the box. He shapes a first-time curler towards the far post that is palmed out by the diving Marinovic, and Smolov is denied a tap-in when Thomas stretches to put the ball behind for a corner.

5.10pm BST

49 min “This game started at 3am in New Zealand,” says Gareth Bedford. “I deeply regret staying up for it, but the sunk cost means I’ll probably end up watching the rest, despite low likelihood of decent football breaking out.”

5.08pm BST

48 min Marinovic makes a terrific double save. Poloz arrived late to meet Smolov’s right-wing cross with a rising header back across goal. Marinovic leapt to palm that away and got straight to his feet to spread himself and block Erokhin’s close-range follow-up. That was brilliant, the second save in particular.

5.06pm BST

47 min New Zealand appeal for a penalty when the ball hits Erokhin’s chest or arm inside the box. Again the referee decides not to use the VAR. We haven’t seen a replay yet.

5.05pm BST

46 min Peep peep! Russia begin the second half.

5.04pm BST

Poloz’s part in the goal was so good. Dennis Bergkamp couldn’t have done it better. The ball was fired at him from close range by Erokhin, and came at an awkward height as well. In a split-second he adjusted his body and helped the ball first time into the space behind the defence, weighting the touch perfectly to meet Glushakov’s run. It was a tremendous touch.

4.54pm BST

Half-time business

Would you like to sign up for The Recap, our new weekly email showcasing the best of our sport coverage? It’s free and, if you don’t like it, you can unsubscribe without having to enter your last ten addresses, a Captcha code and the middle name of your favourite schoolteacher.

4.50pm BST

“Afternoon Rob,” says Andrew Beaumont. “Kiwi now living in London (with about half of NZ’s population) watching the football. If you’re worried about NZ being an “All White” team, our away strip is a very smart black one which will dissuade any racist notions. I can say that supporting the All Whites on the ground in South Africa in 2010 was a very interesting experience...”

Did you have any waitresses called Suzie?

4.49pm BST

Peep peep! That was an enjoyable half of football between two admittedly limited teams. Russia deservedly lead through Denis Glushakov’s goal. See you in 10 minutes!

4.48pm BST

45+1 min A free-kick to New Zealand near the halfway line. Set pieces are their best chance. They have angled all of them towards Wood at the far post, with mixed results. This time it’s headed out to Thomas, who shanks his half-volley on the edge of the area.

4.46pm BST

44 min Boxall shoves Zhirkov - yep, that one - over on the left wing. Samedov’s free-kick is rubbish.

4.44pm BST

41 min “DO YOU GET LOTS OF EMAILS DOING THESE..?” says Joseph Kennedy. “I’m a long-time reader first-time writer. In Canada getting off night shift in oil sand Having a few beers and found this on TV. Twenty years ago you have had trouble finding the World Cup itself on TV. And even five years ago qualifiers were hard to find now all soccer is everywhere. Seems like a reasonably entertaining game to my uneducated eye.”

It depends on the game. Sometimes you get 10 emails all match, and you have to beg for those. Other times a swollen inbox contributes significantly to an already frazzled noggin.

4.41pm BST

39 min Glushakov plays a penetrative pass down the inside-left channel to Smolov, who comes back inside onto his right foot and bends a tame effort well wide of the far post.

4.40pm BST

37 min “Would that it were so simple?” sniffs Sadeq. “There’s only one scene that comes to mind. I half imagine Anthony Hudson trying to teach Winston Reid how to pull off a defence splitting quarterback pass. Trippingly.”

That’s one of the great examples of a classic scene in an average film.

4.40pm BST

34 min Scratch that: it hit the post, hit McGlinchey and went in, but I suspect it was Glushakov’s goal as it would probably have spun over the line anyway. And, because, y’know.

4.36pm BST

33 min On reflection, I think that might be an own goal from Smith. It’s hard to tell, even after a few replays, because it was a real scramble. But I think it hit the post and rebounded off Smith before going into the net.

4.35pm BST

New Zealand tried to play the ball out of defence, a mistake they won’t make again. They gave it away, and a couple of quick passes from Erokhin and Poloz - the second a beautiful piece of improvisation - allowed Glushakov to run through on goal. He lobbed it over the keeper and was involved in a race with two defenders as the ball bounced slowly towards goal. They all slid in at the same time, and I think it hit the post before bouncing off Glushakov and into the net.

4.33pm BST

I told you Russia were crap.

4.32pm BST

30 min Poloz has a goal rightly disallowed for offside. No need to go upstairs.

4.32pm BST

29 min I don’t like to be negative, but

we’re all doomed, they’ve got surveillance on our ass
Russia look a painfully ordinary team. Next summer could get nasty for them, depending on the draw.

4.28pm BST

27 min “Our announcer here, former player Stuart Holden, has told us that was no penalty because the Russian player took a heavy touch,” says JR in Illinois. “This has left me wondering if Stuart Holden knows the laws of the game. No stoppages for racism yet is good news. Let’s see how long it can continue.”

Aren’t New Zealand an all-white team? Or is that FAKE VIEWS?

4.28pm BST

26 min A long-range shot from Dzhikya is pushed behind for a corner by the unconvincing Marinovic.

4.25pm BST

23 min “Do you happen to know what has happened to Winston Reid?” says Chasuman. “Would’ve thought a Premier League defender would be an automatic starter for us (the Kiwis that is).”

He is injured. I think.

4.24pm BST

22 min Wood smashes a snapshot into orbit from 20 yards. New Zealand will be happy with the first quarter of this match, despite those early scares. They look a compact, organised side. I realise that sounds patronising but it’s not meant to be. They seem like a team who have embraced their limitations. Would that it were so simple.

4.20pm BST

20 min “Evening (or should I say good morning) from Australia Rob!” says Patrick Wills. “University exams pending so the heights of my procrastination have led me to this blockbuster (ahem) match-up. Rojas and Barbarouses are pacey dribblers that are both worth keeping an eye on from our friends across the ditch in NZ, the former in particular has been given the unfortunate ‘Kiwi Messi’ tag but he does have some very tidy feet. Made a move to Stuttgart a few years ago but it never quite worked out for him so he’s back in our domestic league strutting his stuff. As a Sydney fan it’s very hard to compliment a man from our much loathed rivals in Melbourne but he’s worthy of the praise.”

4.19pm BST

18 min Wood’s unconvincing low shot is kicked behind for a New Zealand corner by Smolov.

4.19pm BST

17 min New Zealand win a free-kick just outside the penalty area on the left. It’s a tight angle but Wood might have a crack nonetheless...

4.18pm BST

14 min That should have been a penalty to Russia. A nothing ball forward ran all the way through to Poloz, who skipped round the keeper Marinovic and fell over dramatically. At first it looked like a dive, and the referee waved play on. Replays suggested there was contact.

4.17pm BST

12 min New Zealand’s first snifter of a chance. The keeper Marinovic angles a very long free-kick to the giant Wood, who heads it into the penalty area. The stretching Smith beats a defender to the ball but can only divert the ball across goal rather than towards it.

4.12pm BST

9 min Smith clears off the line for New Zealand! That’s twice in three minutes the ball has been cleared from under the crossbar. Poloz smartly chested down a cross from the right at the far post before toeing it past the outrushing Marinovic. It would have dribbled into the net but for Smith’s intervention.

4.10pm BST

7 min Russia are starting to dominate, with Durante conceding a corner on the right. Samedov’s outswinger is headed onto the far post by the stooping Vasin, with McGlinchey kicking the rebound off the line.

4.08pm BST

4 min “Proud Kiwi watching from Amsterdam,” says Oli Laugeray-Cleaver. “ITV commentators mocking New Zealand before even kick off - seems a bit rough seeing how England did in the last tournament they were in...”

It’s human nature. See also: Tony Soprano calling Bobby Bacala a ‘Calzone with legs’.

4.06pm BST

3 min Golovin, the player being linked with Arsenal by all good gossip-mongers, hits a crisp rising drive from the left edge of the box that is fumbled behind for a corner by Marinovic.

4.02pm BST

1 min Peep peep! New Zealand, in white, kick off from right to left. Russia are in red. The stadium isn’t exactly full.

3.57pm BST

Anyone out there? We can talk about the Russian in the Sopranos if it makes things easier.

3.49pm BST

Brazil have won the last three Confederations Cups. They won’t win this one, as they haven’t qualified. The only previous winners in this tournament are Mexico, who were champions back in 1999, when Ronan Keating was topping the charts with When You Say Nothing At All. Good times.

3.37pm BST

Parochial department

Leeds striker Chris Wood and Ipswich’s Tommy Smith start for New Zealand, while Monty Patterson – who spent the end of last season on loan at Braintree - is on the bench. Russia’s team includes the apparently excellent young midfielder Aleksandr Golovin, who has been linked with Arsenal.

3.37pm BST

A strong contender for the naffest tweet ever

When it's Friday and the #ConfedCup kicks off tomorrow #FridayFeeling pic.twitter.com/SuBWj3kdoR

3.37pm BST

As you probably know, video assistant referees will be used in this competition. Imagine being the VAR who has to decide whether to award a 90th-minute penalty against Russia next summer. That would test the clarity of your decision-making.

3.15pm BST

Let’s be honest: small boys don’t lie awake at night dreaming about winning the Confederations Cup. But it’s still an elite competition, and has produced a series of iconic moments down the years. Nick Ames has picked six of the best.

3.07pm BST

Russia (3-5-2) Akinfeev; Dzhikya, Vasin, Kudriashov; Samedov, Erokhin, Glushakov, Golovin, Zhirkov; Smolov, Poloz.

New Zealand (3-4-3) Marinovic; Boxall, Durante, Smith; Colvey, Thomas, McGlinchey, Wynne; Rojas, Wood, Barbarouses.

10.48am BST

Hello and welcome to live coverage of the opening match of the Confederations Cup, between Russia and New Zealand in St Petersburg. Russia will host next year’s World Cup, and the focus on issues off the field – racism, hooliganism, etc - has obscured the most important football question: are this lot any good or what?

This, according to the Fifa/world rankings is the worst Russia team since records began. They are 63rd, one place below Uzbekistan, just ahead of Armenia and Curacao. The emergence of a new generation does offer some encouragement, with the average age of the squad falling below 50 for the first time in a while, and this tournament should give us an idea what they might achieve next summer.

View more on Rob Smyth's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on June 17, 2017 09:53

Russia 2-0 New Zealand: Confederations Cup 2017 - as it happened

Denis Glushakov and Fedor Smolov scored as Russia won comfortably in the opening match of the Confederations Cup

5.53pm BST

5.48pm BST

89 min Smolov, who has had a superb second half, hits a good low shot from 20 yards that is saved by the plunging Marinovic.

5.44pm BST

84 min Almost a third for Russia. Smolov moves away from Tuiloma with ease on the left and slides a low ball right across the face of goal. Bukharov just couldn’t reach it.

5.40pm BST

80 min Smith is lucky not to be booked for a thoroughly inept hack at Smolov.

5.38pm BST

78 min From the resulting corner, Smith’s header is kicked off the line by Zhirkov!

5.37pm BST

77 min A long throw is headed away to Thomas, who controls it and belts a lovely half-volley towards goal from 25 yards. Akinfeev springs spectacularly to his left to push it away.

5.36pm BST

77 min A Russia substitution: Tarasov replaces Erokhin.

5.36pm BST

5.31pm BST

71 min Another NZ substitution: Shane Smeltz replaces Marco Rojas, who did not live up to his ‘Kiwi Messi’ tag.

5.30pm BST

5.27pm BST

5.23pm BST

64 min A Russia substitution: the impressive Poloz is replaced by Aleksandr Bukharov.

5.22pm BST

5.20pm BST

61 min The increasingly influential Golovin is fouled 25 yards from goal. We tend to associate Russia with neat, precise passing but today they have had a lot of success with crosses.

5.19pm BST

60 min New Zealand have offered very little in open play. Rojas and Barbarouses, the apparently lively forwards, have struggled to get on the ball.

5.19pm BST

5.15pm BST

56 min It looks like the goal has now gone down as a Michael Boxall own goal.

5.13pm BST

Work poker night? You mean it’s possible to work with people you actually want to see outside the office?

5.13pm BST

5.10pm BST

5.08pm BST

5.06pm BST

47 min New Zealand appeal for a penalty when the ball hits Erokhin’s chest or arm inside the box. Again the referee decides not to use the VAR. We haven’t seen a replay yet.

5.05pm BST

46 min Peep peep! Russia begin the second half.

5.04pm BST

4.54pm BST

Half-time business

4.50pm BST

Did you have any waitresses called Suzie?

4.49pm BST

Peep peep! That was an enjoyable half of football between two admittedly limited teams. Russia deservedly lead through Denis Glushakov’s goal. See you in 10 minutes!

4.48pm BST

4.46pm BST

44 min Boxall shoves Zhirkov - yep, that one - over on the left wing. Samedov’s free-kick is rubbish.

4.44pm BST

It depends on the game. Sometimes you get 10 emails all match, and you have to beg for those. Other times a swollen inbox contributes significantly to an already frazzled noggin.

4.41pm BST

39 min Glushakov plays a penetrative pass down the inside-left channel to Smolov, who comes back inside onto his right foot and bends a tame effort well wide of the far post.

4.40pm BST

That’s one of the great examples of a classic scene in an average film.

4.40pm BST

34 min Scratch that: it hit the post, hit McGlinchey and went in, but I suspect it was Glushakov’s goal as it would probably have spun over the line anyway. And, because, y’know.

4.36pm BST

4.35pm BST

4.33pm BST

I told you Russia were crap.

4.32pm BST

30 min Poloz has a goal rightly disallowed for offside. No need to go upstairs.

4.32pm BST

4.28pm BST

Aren’t New Zealand an all-white team? Or is that FAKE VIEWS?

4.28pm BST

26 min A long-range shot from Dzhikya is pushed behind for a corner by the unconvincing Marinovic.

4.25pm BST

23 min “Do you happen to know what has happened to Winston Reid?” says Chasuman. “Would’ve thought a Premier League defender would be an automatic starter for us (the Kiwis that is).”

He is injured. I think.

4.24pm BST

4.20pm BST

4.19pm BST

18 min Wood’s unconvincing low shot is kicked behind for a New Zealand corner by Smolov.

4.19pm BST

17 min New Zealand win a free-kick just outside the penalty area on the left. It’s a tight angle but Wood might have a crack nonetheless...

4.18pm BST

4.17pm BST

4.12pm BST

4.10pm BST

4.08pm BST

It’s human nature. See also: Tony Soprano calling Bobby Bacala a ‘Calzone with legs’.

4.06pm BST

3 min Golovin, the player being linked with Arsenal by all good gossip-mongers, hits a crisp rising drive from the left edge of the box that is fumbled behind for a corner by Marinovic.

4.02pm BST

1 min Peep peep! New Zealand, in white, kick off from right to left. Russia are in red. The stadium isn’t exactly full.

3.57pm BST

Anyone out there? We can talk about the Russian in the Sopranos if it makes things easier.

3.49pm BST

3.37pm BST

Parochial department

3.37pm BST

A strong contender for the naffest tweet ever

When it's Friday and the #ConfedCup kicks off tomorrow #FridayFeeling pic.twitter.com/SuBWj3kdoR

3.37pm BST

3.15pm BST

3.07pm BST

Russia (3-5-2) Akinfeev; Dzhikya, Vasin, Kudriashov; Samedov, Erokhin, Glushakov, Golovin, Zhirkov; Smolov, Poloz.

New Zealand (3-4-3) Marinovic; Boxall, Durante, Smith; Colvey, Thomas, McGlinchey, Wynne; Rojas, Wood, Barbarouses.

10.48am BST

View more on Rob Smyth's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on June 17, 2017 09:53

June 14, 2017

England v Pakistan: ICC Champions Trophy semi-final – live!

Champions Trophy updates from the first semi-finalVic Marks: England may find low-scoring Cardiff a hindranceAnd feel free to email Tom or tweet him here

8.57am BST

Morning everyone. Such are the strange times we live in that you can sidle up to strangers, begin your small talk with the opening gambit of “England look the best side in a 50-over tournament” and no one looks at you funny before shuffling away with a look of dread and horror. Which makes a nice change. Yes, we’ve arrived at the semi-final stages swiftly enough – though am I the only one that feels this tournament has zoomed by a little too quickly? - with the hosts looking set fair. England, as expected, are favourites in the first one, against a Pakistan side who at times have been almost a caricature of their cricketing image – wretched in their first match, against India, inspired (particularly with the ball) against South Africa, and sporadically excellent against Sri Lanka while giving their fans plenty of scares as they scrambled over the line in pursuit of a modest target.

Neutrals will surely not begrudge Pakistan their place in today’s semi-final though, particularly those who like to see bowlers get their moments in the sun in this bat-heavy game. Indeed Pakistan in tournaments have always been about the bowling – from Wasim in ’92 to Shoaib Akhtar in ’99 to even just brief cameos such as Wahab Riaz’s inspired spell in a losing cause against Australia in that World Cup quarter-final two years ago. The erratic Wahab has been elbowed out of this current side’s attack, spearheaded now by the thrillingly zesty Hasan Ali, Junaid Khan and the young-old warhorse Mohammad Amir.

View more on Rob Smyth's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on June 14, 2017 01:30

June 11, 2017

India beat South Africa: ICC Champions Trophy – as it happened

The champions India thrashed a pitiful South Africa by eight wickets to breeze into the semi-finals

4.53pm BST

That was probably the performance of the tournament so far from India. The Sri Lanka game has been expunged from memory, and they will qualify as group winners. It’ll take a very good team to beat them. Thanks for your company, goodnight!

4.49pm BST

38 overs: India 193-2 (Kohli 76, Yuvraj 17) Yuvraj finishes it in style, hoicking Duminy for six! India breeze into the semi-finals, where they will play Bangladesh. They played superbly; South Africa could barely have played worse.

4.46pm BST

36th over: India 183-2 (Kohli 75, Yuvraj 12) Kohli gets four more with a fast-handed pull through midwicket off Tahir. That was another tremendous shot. India need nine to win from 72 balls. Meanwhile, this is a good point from the Godfather of the OBO.

So we'll have three Asian teams in the semi-finals. Don't imagine anyone predicted that.

4.43pm BST

36th over: India 176-2 (Kohli 70, Yuvraj 12) This match is taking place at the Oval, and thus we’re contractually obliged to link to the scorecard of a game here in 1993 that shows it’s never over until it’s over. Except it kind of is.

Shem. Things have gone so badly for South Africa that if they were the team chasing this at this point, they'd find a way to cock it up.

4.40pm BST

35th over: India 173-2 (Kohli 69, Yuvraj 10) Kohli drives Tahir through wide mid-on for a superb boundary. He hasn’t always looked at his best in this tournament - yet he’s still averaging 150. Yuvraj survives an LBW appeal - and then a review - because of a late inside edge.

4.35pm BST

34th over: India 166-2 (Kohli 64, Yuvraj 8) Replays show that delivery from Tahir did indeed pitch just outside leg stump. JP Duminy comes on after the drinks break. He took a hat-trick against Sri Lanka in the World Cup quarter-final two years ago; even that wouldn’t be enough here.

4.31pm BST

33rd over: India 162-2 (Kohli 62, Yuvraj 6) Yuvraj survives a huge LBW appeal when Tahir skids one into the pad. That looked out, yet South Africa haven’t bothered to review. Maybe it pitched outside leg. I can’t see any other reason why it wasn’t out.

4.27pm BST

32nd over: India 156-2 (Kohli 61, Yuvraj 1) It won’t be officially confirmed until tomorrow, but India will play Bangladesh in the second semi-final at Edgbaston on Thursday.

“Hi Rob,” says L’ Gopika Murthy. “Do you miss seeing Dravid and Ganguly play, no matter how good the current team is?”

4.23pm BST

31st over: India 154-2 (Kohli 59, Yuvraj 1) “Why don’t you Tweet?” says Andrew Benton. “Do you have special dispensation from the Guardian Towers powers to avoid this most addictive and pointless of pastimes?”

May I reverse the question? It’s hard enough fighting the internal narcissist without giving him an endless platform to detail my quirky breakfast habits and to flag up when I’m having an afternoon nap.

4.20pm BST

You know things are bad when Imran Tahir doesn’t celebrate a wicket. Dhawan sliced a googly towards long off, where du Plessis took a very good running catch. Tahir settled for a modest high five rather than the usual lap of honour.

4.19pm BST

30th over: India 151-1 (Dhawan 78, Kohli 57) This match will be done in the next half hour or so - India need 41 from 120 overs.

4.17pm BST

29th over: India 148-1 (Dhawan 77, Kohli 55) Kohli drives Rabada supremely through extra cover for three. This has become a victory parade during the match for India.

“GSCE,” says Steve Ditchburn. “Almost as hilarious as writing ‘India need 74 from 25 balls’.”

4.10pm BST

28th over: India 142-1 (Dhawan 75, Kohli 51) Kohli reaches an imperfect but increasingly dominant fifty from 71 balls. Dhawan then belts Morris for two leg-side boundaries; he has the chance of yet another century in an ICC tournament. His record is remarkable, which is why I’ve just remarked upon it.

“How many Yorkshire players do you think Root will select in his first Test team?” says Tom Van der Gucht. “Do you think Ballance, based on his county format, and Rashid may sneak in alongside YJB?”

4.05pm BST

27th over: India 130-1 (Dhawan 66, Kohli 48) Dhawan gloves a pull for four off Rabada. If South Africa had the option of throwing in a towel they would surely do so; this is all pretty miserable for them.

“Not too sure I agree that Boycott would be in the kitchen at the party,” says Matt Dony. “I get the impression he has some strong opinions on who should be in the kitchen, and it’s not him. He would corner you in the living room, straining to talk at you over the music, regaling you with long stories you never asked to hear.”

I didn't, I got 48 runs. https://t.co/HKmjsy5cEL

4.02pm BST

26th over: India 125-1 (Dhawan 61, Kohli 48) Dhawan hoicks Morris’s slower ball over midwicket for four to bring up an increasingly rampant hundred partnership.

“I am all in for Kohli v Wood battle in the final,” says Kumar Pushparaj. “Wood has been the biggest impact player in this tournament.”

3.57pm BST

25th over: India 118-1 (Dhawan 55, Kohli 47) Rabada returns, just in case there’s a miracle to be found on a good length. There isn’t. India need 74 from 25 balls. Overs, I meant overs. 25 overs.

“Exam choke,” says Sam in Romania. “GSCE maths, 1993. Lad next to me turns up with a TV remote control instead of his calculator. Claims they were both on the arm of the chair, turned off the TV to come to the exam and picked up the wrong one. Fail.”

3.53pm BST

24th over: India 115-1 (Dhawan 54, Kohli 47) Dhawan dumps Morris over mid-on for four to reach the usual half-century, his third of the tournament and his sixth in eight Champions Trophy innings. He’s now the leading runscorer in this tournament as well. He gets an adoring reception from the India supporters, who could be a significant factor if they play England here in the final next Sunday.

3.50pm BST

23rd over: India 110-1 (Dhawan 49, Kohli 47) Kohli flicks Morkel through midwicket for four, a touch of considerable class, and drives another boundary through extra cover. Beautiful.

“I’m here, got nowhere to go when you are down with the flu,” says Pratik Dubey. “Glad it’s a match day. Expected more from today’s match though. Looks like we will have the perfect final. Defending Champions Vs Strongest Contenders. True championship match. Only if we could have some pre-match smack talk!”

3.45pm BST

22nd over: India 102-1 (Dhawan 49, Kohli 39) “You think there’ll be an India/Pakistan final in this tournament?” says Abhishek Chopra.

No, although it would be the most Pakistan thing ever for them to start the competition with a pitiful defeat to India and end it by beating them in the final. I suspect both semi-finals will be won easily by England and India.

3.42pm BST

21st over: India 100-1 (Dhawan 47, Kohli 38) Morkel replaces Tahir and is struck for consecutive boundaries by Kohli, a loose drive over point followed by a deliberate steer between slip and gully. This match is all over including the shouting.

“How can you be lonely with all those stats in your head to keep you company?” says Ian Copestake. “It must be like being at a party you can never leave hosted by W.G. Grace. Boycott will be in the kitchen, so there’s no escape there.”

3.35pm BST

20th over: India 90-1 (Dhawan 47, Kohli 29) “Who will England play?” asks Martin Lloyd. They will play in Cardiff on Wednesday against the winner of tomorrow’s match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, unless something utterly ridiculous happens to the net run-rate.

3.32pm BST

19th over: India 84-1 (Dhawan 43, Kohli 27) Dhawan pulls and back cuts Tahir for consecutive boundaries. That’s excellent, authoritative batting against the last known threat to India’s victory chances.

“You can say what you like about South Africa’s performance today,” says Sam. “They’re still doing better than I am at revising for my land law exam tomorrow.”

3.29pm BST

18th over: India 76-1 (Dhawan 35, Kohli 27) Phehlukwayo bowls the first over after the break; one from it.

3.24pm BST

Drinks break Send your emails to rob.smyth@theguardian.com. Please, I’m getting lonely.

3.21pm BST

17th over: India 75-1 (Dhawan 35, Kohli 25) Imran Tahir comes into the attack. Dhawan sweeps him for four to bring up the fifty partnership and increase the party atmosphere at the Oval. Tahir slips a googly past the outside edge, prompting Aleem Dar to check the stumping with the third umpire. Dhawan’s back foot was in the crease.

3.17pm BST

16th over: India 70-1 (Dhawan 31, Kohli 25) Kohlis is dropped off Phehlukwayo! He edged a big drive towards slip, where Amla couldn’t hang on to a very difficult low chance to his right. Kohli continues to look a bit vulnerable outside off stump, which will interest England if they play India in the final.

3.13pm BST

15th over: India 65-1 (Dhawan 30, Kohli 21) Kohli takes Morris from outside off stump, rolling the wrists to ping the ball to the long-on boundary. India are cruising to victory after a sluggish start.li takes Morris from outside off stump, rolling the wrists to ping the ball to the long-on boundary. India are cruising to victory after a sluggish start.

3.11pm BST

14th over: India 58-1 (Dhawan 28, Kohli 16) Kohli has had enough of being bowled at by South Africa: he blasts Phehlukwayo for a majestic six down the ground to signal the start of phase two of his innings.

“Hi,” says Damian Clarke. “It’s started drizzling here on the sunny south coast, which has curtailed a very exciting afternoon Hammeriting (other exterior paints are available) my drainpipes. So I’ll start on the snifters and stay with you.”

3.04pm BST

13th over: India 50-1 (Dhawan 28, Kohli 9) Chris Morris replaces Rabada (6-2-21-0) and continues the excellent line to Kohli. It’s Kohli who blinks first with a swivel-pull that bounces this far short of Morkel, diving forward at fine leg. This is a superb effort from South Africa’s bowlers; if only they had a score of even 270 to defend.

2.59pm BST

12th over: India 47-1 (Dhawan 28, Kohli 6) Andile Phehlukwayo replaces Morne Morkel. Dhawan pushes his first ball towards point, where a misfield from Miller turns one run into three. Kohli charges the next delivery, which snakes back through the gate and just past the stumps. That was beautifully bowled. Kohli hasn’t really got going and has six from 19 balls.

2.55pm BST

11th over: India 41-1 (Dhawan 25, Kohli 3) Rabada continues into a sixth over. There’s no point saving his overs. This is the game and the tournament, right here. He has bowled very well to Kohli in particular, but hasn’t been able to bother his outside edge. India are comfortable; it might be time for Tahir.

2.45pm BST

10th over: India 37-1 (Dhawan 22, Kohli 2) Dhawan brings the crowd back to life with consecutive boundaries off Morkel, a push through mid-off followed by a drive through the covers. Morkel bowls a front-foot no-ball and Dhawan clouts the free hit over point for a couple. Eleven from the over. I’d probably type ‘Shackles. Broken’ if I had a liking for that mildly irritating device of putting a full stop in the middle of a sentence in an attempt to achieve emphasis.

2.44pm BST

9th over: India 26-1 (Dhawan 12, Kohli 2) Anyone out there?

2.41pm BST

8th over: India 24-1 (Dhawan 11, Kohli 1) This is excellent, proud bowling in the face of almost certain defeat from Rabada and Morkel, who makes it consecutive maidens and beats Dhawan with the final delivery of the over.

2.37pm BST

7th over: India 24-1 (Dhawan 11, Kohli 1) Rabada has two slips and a gully for Kohli and hits a decent line just outside off stum. Kohli defends or leaves everything, so it’s a maiden.

2.33pm BST

6th over: India 24-1 (Dhawan 11, Kohli 1) If South Africa are to have any chance of a miracle, they need to get Kohli early. That was such an extravagant shot from Rohit in the circumstances; Morkel saw him making room and followed him with a very good delivery.

2.31pm BST

One down, nine to go. Rohit makes room to launch Morkel over the off side and snicks through to the diving de Kock. Good bowling from Morkel, who has had an excellent tournament.

2.29pm BST

5th over: India 23-0 (Rohit 12, Dhawan 11) Dhawan paddle-pulls Rabada towards long leg, where Phehlukwayo runs straight past the ball and allows it to go for four. This could turn into total humiliation for South Africa.

2.25pm BST

4th over: India 18-0 (Rohit 11, Dhawan 7) Dhawan snaps his wrists to flick Morkel for an extraordinary six over square leg. What a shot! This is going to a long afternoon of the soul for South Africa’s cricketers, compounded by the noise of the Indian fans at the Oval. There are some all-time greats in that team, and you have to feel for them in particular.

2.21pm BST

3rd over: India 12-0 (Rohit 11, Dhawan 1) After a careful start - one from 13 balls - Rohit comes to life with four and six off consecutive deliveries from Rabada. A classy straight drive was followed by a storming pull stroke over the rope.

2.17pm BST

2nd over: India 2-0 (Rohit 1, Dhawan 1) Morne Morkel is promoted to take the new ball, a reflection of South Africa’s urgent need for wickets. They should have had one, too. Dhawan took a suicidal single into the covers and was miles short of his ground when Miller’s throw missed the stumps. Having been run-out earlier, he’s just put salt in his own wounds.

“An England v Bangladesh final would be best - and hopefully taken right down to the very last ball...” says Andrew Benton.

2.13pm BST

1st over: India 0-0 (Rohit 0, Dhawan 0) Kagiso Rabada takes the opening over. South Africa should turn this into a Test match, like Australia did so successfully for a time yesterday. That’s what Rabada does, with two slips and an excellent fifth-stump line. Rohit is beaten by a good delivery and plays out the rest of the over cautiously. A maiden.

“So, let’s get it out of the way,” says John Beaven. “Was that the chokiest choke since the last time serial chokers South Africa choked?”

2.08pm BST

South Africa are in a huddle, but their body language isn’t exactly threatening to break the positivityometer. Seven Nation Army, the Michael van Gerwen anthem, plays on the tannoy. I suspect that, in the post-match interviews, the message coming from AB de Villiers’ eyes will say: leave it alone. He doesn’t deserve this.

2.06pm BST

Thanks Geoff. South Africa, so much to answer for. They spent the two years between the World Cup and the Champions Trophy ascending to No1 in the world, and the whole goddamn enterprise unravelled in just six deliveries. That’s how long it took for AB de Villiers and David Miller to be run out in a manner that brought all South Africa’s old demons rushing to the surface.

They lost their last eight wickets for 51 – and, just for good measure, finished the innings with a third ridiculous run-out. It was pretty hard to watch, and it was no surprise that #chokers was doing plenty of business on Twitter. Not even Malcolm Tucker could put a positive spin on it, though he could probably come up with an alternative C-word for their performance.

1.46pm BST

I’ve said it 30 times before, and I’ll say it just once more: disaster. Holy hand grenades. South Africa have a great batting line-up on paper, but like most things on paper it appears relatively easy to put holes in it.

Those batsmen have been dismissed in 44.3 overs, the exact same number of overs that Bangladesh were dismissed for on this ground by Australia earlier in the week. India, though, will not be thwarted in their chase by weather.The sky remains relatively clear, the clouds of the friendly persuasion.

1.43pm BST

It’s all over, and the men in green will not get 200. I’m not talking about leprachauns, either. There’s been little in the way of luck for them today. India have been supreme. Duminy flicks Bhuvi out to midwicket and goes for a run. He desperately wants the second, as it’s only the third ball of the over. But then they realise it’s not on. Or decide it’s not on. Tahir turns back and tries to regain his crease. The dive again, not as grand as AB’s, but pretty good in the circumstances. Again Dhoni’s hands are too fast. None of you will know AFL football, but there’s a player whose name we like to use at times like this: Max Gawn.

1.39pm BST

44th over: South Africa 190-9 (Duminy 19, Tahir 1)

The crowd goes up as Tahir lashes Bumrah to cover, and Rohit Sharma pretends to claim a catch off the bump ball. It’s all fun and games now. It’s Connect 4 night in a Laotian backpacker joint. Drink specials till midnight, free DJ till dawn. Tahir survives the over, SA benefit by a wide.

We did it better pic.twitter.com/m5hMCWNVW5

1.36pm BST

43rd over: South Africa 189-9 (Duminy 19, Tahir 1)

If you were every going to bowl for a hat-trick in your career, you’d want to be bowling to Imran Tahir. But the hat-trick is denied in a flurry of limbs and protective equipment, as a ball that could have hit the stumps is deflected away, and the edge goes to ground through the slips for a run. Duminy then positions his own pads correctly and benefits by four leg byes. Can South Africa get 200?

1.31pm BST

The Golden Globe goes to... Morne Morkel! Best Guest Appearance in a Dramatic Comedy. He gets a fullish ball but it’s not that full. Essays a big drive. Gets a big edge. Kohli has brought himself into slip for just that contingency, and Bhuvi is on a hat-trick.

1.29pm BST

What a delivery. They are bowling beautifully today. Bhuvi hits the perfect length, the perfect seam position. Rabada doesn’t know whether to come forward. He hangs back a touch, prods. The ball seams across the left-hander, takes his edge, simple for Dhoni.

1.27pm BST

42nd over: South Africa 184-7 (Duminy 19, Rabada 5)

Ashwin is bowling nicely, Duminy still struggling. A strike rate of barely 50, as he twice finds point with short balls. Ashwin beats him into the pad another time, but the appeal isn’t successful. Only two singles come from the over with South Africa limping towards 200.

1.23pm BST

41st over: South Africa 182-7 (Duminy 18, Rabada 4)

Bumrah generating some serious pace now with his bouncers, but Rabada picks on one of them and smashes the pull for four. Great shot. Another left-hander out in the middle, South Africa have a parade of them.

1.22pm BST

Gone on review. Everything going right for India. Beautiful bowling from Bumrah. Fast, full, swinging away from the left-hander but it starts outside leg stump and hits his pad on the line of leg, around the ankle. I have no earthly idea how that was given not out initially, but India challenge after a chat with Dhoni, and are proven correct. Smashing the stumps.

1.18pm BST

40th over: South Africa 178-6 (Duminy 18, Phehlukwayo 4)

Just the three runs from the over as Kumar comes back. Very straight, and he seems to be getting the ball to shift a little bit off the pitch.

1.17pm BST

39th over: South Africa 175-6 (Duminy 17, Phehlukwayo 2)

Finally, something goes right for SA. A big cut from Duminy, a big edge, and Ashwin concedes a boundary through fine third man. The first for a long time. There’s just been very little chance for South Africa to get anything away. The revelation for India of late is just how good their bowling can be. We’re used to them having great batsmen, and the occasional great spinner, but historically that class bowler has been somewhat outnumbered by colleagues who aren’t at his level.

1.13pm BST

38th over: South Africa 169-6 (Duminy 12, Phehlukwayo 1)

Pandya drying them up. They miss the rains down in Africa. Two runs from the over. Like Bruce Willis across most of his films, this is just getting uglier scene by scene.

1.07pm BST

37th over: South Africa 167-6 (Duminy 11, Phehlukwayo 0)

Duminy is trying, but he’s not in the groove. Before the Morris dismissal he misses a pie down leg side that could have been a simple glance for four. After Morris goes, Duminy laces a cut shot, but straight to backward point on the bounce for a dot ball. Bumrah is bowling at a good clip.

1.03pm BST

There’s the pressure of that low run rate. The ball isn’t even that short, but Morris tries to go cross-bat across the line. It doesn’t work for him - a high top edge lobs to square leg inside the circle, and Bhuvi Kumar steadies under it to take a simple one.

1.01pm BST

36th over: South Africa 165-5 (Duminy 10, Morris 4)

India’s bowlers still choking South Africa up. Pandya on a good line on off stump, or shorter attacking the body. The batsmen can only manage three singles. Where are the runs going to come from, as this match goes on?

12.56pm BST

35th over: South Africa 162-5 (Duminy 8, Morris 3)

Jadeja finishes his day’s work with 1-39 from 10 overs. Nearly runs out Morris at the non-striker’s end too, after Duminy drives back to him. Just the three singles. India have played the spin aspect of this match to perfection so far.

12.54pm BST

34th over: South Africa 159-5 (Duminy 6, Morris 2)

Du Plessis leaves the ground, Morris emerges. Look at the shoulders of that trudging figure. Sometime captain, sometime not. Hounded in Australia. Tortured in England. Responsible, perhaps, for the demise of his teammates, then the demise of himself.

12.49pm BST

And finally the pain is over, with a last searing burst. Du Plessis sees a nice wide ball and decides to smash it through cover. Except it’s an off-cutter, Pandya running his fingers down the seam, and it grips a bit in the pitch. The stroke mistimed. The bottom edge of the angled bat directing it into the stumps. The flashing red bails detonate, and the shimmering blue crowd does the same.

12.47pm BST

33rd over: South Africa 156-4 (du Plessis 36, Duminy 5)

Jaedja rattles through another four singles from an over. He has one over left, and has gone for 36 runs.

12.44pm BST

32nd over: South Africa 152-4 (du Plessis 34, Duminy 3)

Du Plessis is trying to get his run-tapping groove back, but if we could do a pictorial analogy of his state of mind right now, it would be a man on his knees yelling “Mendooozaaaaa” into an unforgiving sky. Pandya bowls a wide bouncer and gives up three singles. The earth spins remorselessly on its way.

12.38pm BST

31st over: South Africa 148-4 (du Plessis 32, Duminy 2)

Duminy given out! But he reviews. Jadeja the bowler, hit him in line as he swept. But Duminy has got a faint bottom edge on that ball, which the audio technology shows up in graph form. A handful of singles from the Jadeja over. What has happened to this innings? India swarming. The crowd is utterly deafening. I know we carry on about this, but sitting in the middle of it is a truly visceral experience.

12.35pm BST

30th over: South Africa 145-4 (du Plessis 30, Duminy 1)

Well, three singles from the over but disaster from the first ball. I do keep using that word, I’m aware, but there isn’t currently a better one. Run-outs always seem so self inflicted. Surely the pros know how long it takes to reach the other end, and when to take that on?

That moment when you look up and see your batting partner next to you at the same end #INDvSA #CT17 pic.twitter.com/a5JNqwsP3e

12.33pm BST

To lose one wicket to a run out might be seen as misfortune... What a shambles. What a disaster. The Embarro-meter is off the charts. How to even describe that. Du Plessis squirts it into the leg side, and both batsmen start. It goes straight to the field, again, so du Plessis turns back. Miller keeps going. In the end it’s a race to see who gets safely into the batsman’s ground at the same end. The other ends stands empty, and Kohli trots in to tap off the bails. So the umpires have to check on the replay which batsman is out. Miller loses by a short half head.

That was not pretty.

12.29pm BST

29th over: South Africa 142-3 (du Plessis 27, Miller 1)

The run-out early in the over helps Jadeja keep it to three singles thereafter as David Miller tries to settle in at the crease. That will have to rattle du Plessis as well, it was really him calling that summoned AB through, where probably de Villiers should have regarded it as his own call and said no.

12.28pm BST

Disaster for South Africa. Both these two looked in such good touch, but they’ve made a mess of it. Faf du Plessis cut to backward point, and it was fielded inside the circle. There wasn’t a run there but they both took off with the stroke. AB de Villiers was coming to the danger end and knew there was strife. He dived full length, mid air, bat extended. And the athleticism of the dive nearly got him home. But the thow was perfect, right over the stumps, and Dhoni was able to glove the bails off with minimal movement.

12.25pm BST

28th over: South Africa 139-2 (du Plessis 27, de Villiers 15)

Bumrah back, and they handle him with ease. Singles, twos, seven from the over.

Both wickets to spinners, may not be a bad idea to bring in Yuvraj to bowl a few instead of persist with Pandya. #INDvSA

12.23pm BST

27th over: South Africa 132-2 (du Plessis 25, de Villiers 10)

Except Jadeja slows them up immediately, pinning down du Plessis after de Villiers escapes strike from the first ball. Faf finds the field a couple of times, then gives a genuine edge, then decides to block.

Very nice comeback from Jadeja.

12.19pm BST

26th over: South Africa 131-2 (du Plessis 25, de Villiers 9)

There’s been talk of AB being out of form, but he’s starting well here. Full and wide from Pandya, de Villiers uses lots of bottom hand to slap that cover drive for four. Gets a run to third man, then du Plessis glances another four. He walks at Pandya next ball and cuts uppishly, but it lands safely in the deep in front of the sweeper. AB follows his lead after a wide, also walking at the bowler to put him off, making a shortish ball very short, but managing to lean his body far enough to the leg side of the ball that he finds the room to slap it through point. A lot going on in that stroke for one run. Not all singles are equal. A dozen of the best from the over. South Africa will want a stack more of those if they’re going to restrain India under sunshine this afternoon.

12.14pm BST

25th over: South Africa 119-2 (du Plessis 20, de Villiers 3)

Surely the biggest cheer of the day for a non-Indian participant, as the otherwise highly partisan crowd at The Oval decide to offer praise to AB de Villiers. They do love him so; some of the noise for him at the World T20 last year even at neutral games was utterly insane. He gets away immediately by driving two through covers, then a single the same way.

12.11pm BST

Horrible shot really. Quinton went for a reverse sweep the ball before and missed. Went conventional the next ball and missed that too. Unfortunately for him that ball was in line with the stumps and went straight through him.

12.09pm BST

24th over: South Africa 116-1 (de Kock 53, du Plessis 20)

Six more from Pandya’s over, as de Kock raises his fifty with a single.

12.08pm BST

23rd over: South Africa 110-1 (de Kock 49, du Plessis 18)

This is a different game since du Plessis came to the crease. He’s finding runs where he wants, in multiples. Slashes three through cover, runs hard. Singles too. Another six from the Jadeja over.

12.00pm BST

22nd over: South Africa 104-1 (de Kock 47, du Plessis 14)

Psychological games? Wanting to deny South Africa the satisfaction of raising their team hundred with a crisp single, Pandya bowls down leg side for a wide. Faf hasn’t faced any seam yet, but he’s comfortably running his second ball down to third man in time-honoured style. Quinton de Kock nearly splits the fieldsmen at deep midwicket and deep backward square with a stylish flick, but it’s saved on therope. Pandya stays a little too straight to the leftie, and another single goes in a similar direction.

11.56am BST

21st over: South Africa 99-1 (de Kock 44, du Plessis 13)

The harvest continues. Five singles from the Jadeja over. Suddenly they’re doing it with ease. If all this excitement is too much for you, check out the award-winning Will Macpherson’s work over on the country cricket round-up.

11.53am BST

20th over: South Africa 94-1 (de Kock 42, du Plessis 10)

Loving this, there’s a real urgency to du Plessis. He nicks a single to the on side from Ashwin’s first ball, and the right/left changeover does for Ashwin, who slides too far to leg and de Kock picks him off with a lovely drive through midwicket. Then a single, then Faf gauges a second run beautifully after he flicks behind square. Sprints back for the second. Ashwin is rattled, bowls a wide, then there’s another single to Faf to keep the strike, and they’ve turned Ashwin upside down and shaked out his pockets for 10 runs. This is exceptional one-day batting.

11.50am BST

19th over: South Africa 84-1 (de Kock 37, du Plessis 6)

Faf in, and immediately things start to get moving. He slashes two runs from Jadeja’s fifth ball, out behind point, and they get a single from every other delivery. Seven from the over with little effort aside from all the running. Which considering I nearly died after four flights of stairs to the Edgbaston press box the other day, shouldn’t be underestimated.

11.48am BST

18th over: South Africa 77-1 (de Kock 35, du Plessis 1)

Francois du Plessis is next to the crease. Amla had struck a sweet boundary down the ground a couple of balls before his wicket, but that was that. Ashwin has 1 for 22 from 5 overs. I’m going to call that a good selection.

11.42am BST

There it is! Ashwin strikes, the pressure tells. A quicker ball speared through outside off, Amla saw the length and tried to cut but it came on faster than he thought. Mistimed shot, takes the edge and Dhoni snares it standing up to the stumps with a very good take. The pressure compounds as a wicket goes down with the run rate struggling.

11.40am BST

17th over: South Africa 71-0 (de Kock 35, Amla 31)

Better get my typing fingers on here. Ravindra Jadeja on from the other end, the left-armer to Ashwin’s right, spin in either direction, the bowling pair that underwrote India’s ascent to Test supremacy and became the top two ranked bowlers in that format in the world. What can they do in partnership here? You do get the feeling that South Africa would rather be facing pace, and that their downfall against Pakistan’s spinners may have informed India’s approach today.

11.37am BST

16th over: South Africa 67-0 (de Kock 33, Amla 29)

Ashwin rattles through another over, he’s a Gatling gun. Much better for SA though, they get five singles from it. That’s the mark you want to be setting against the oposition’s premier spinner.

11.34am BST

15th over: South Africa 62-0 (de Kock 30, Amla 27)

Has the spell broken? Pandya was on top, Amla was struggling. And then: click. Amla has had enough, breaks the emergency glass, and punches the button. He walks across outside his off stump, gets a full toss as well, and flicks the ball high and long over square leg towards the Gasometer. Six runs. That was huge but graceful, like a whale shark in the London sky. No, I’m fine. Has anyone read China Miéville’s story about the icebergs floating over England? Like that. Then Pandya lands one, but Amla does the same move, coming across and flicking it, this time with more inside edge and it goes through fine leg for four. Could be the turning point.

11.29am BST

14th over: South Africa 52-0 (de Kock 30, Amla 17)

Ashwin delivers another very tidy over, just the two singles from it. Accurate, at the stumps, good lengths, hard to get away.

11.28am BST

13th over: South Africa 50-0 (de Kock 29, Amla 16)

Oh, another near dismissal. They’ve run more garbage than a New York trash collector, this pair. This time it’s de Kock who sets off with a shot straight to mid-off, and should be out by a yard except that Kohli misses the throw while running in with a dive. That came after Pandya had built the pressure with four tight deliveries, forcing the mistake. And another one is missed next ball, as Amla chips back to the bowler who shells the chance. Did all of the work, Pandya, but two possible wickets go begging.

11.23am BST

12th over: South Africa 48-0 (de Kock 28, Amla 15)

Amla trying to sweep Ashwin, but not timing it well. Aside from that one gorgeous shot he hasn’t looked the goods today. Trying to find the rhythm we know he has, the South African opener. Ashwin bowls another tight one, until the last ball. Then he slips it down leg side, and QDK is easily able to help it along behind square for four.

54.6 - @ashwinravi99 averages 54.6 v @OfficialCSA with the ball, his poorest rate vs any side he has faced more than once. Intro. #CT17 pic.twitter.com/QMAGxuuTAp

11.20am BST

11th over: South Africa 41-0 (de Kock 23, Amla 13)

Another bowling change for India, with the all-round seamer Hardik Pandya from the Pavilion End. They work him around a bit more easily. Six runs from the over seems like a release of pressure given how hard the work has been for South Africa through the first 10 overs. Powerplay run rate of 3.5! Geoff Marsh would have liked it, but sheesh.

India would have preferred a wicket or two but this is a good start. South Africa looking like they are itching to get a move on

11.18am BST

10th over: South Africa 35-0 (de Kock 20, Amla 11)

Spin City. It’s time for Ashwin, Lord of the Carrom Ball, King of the Finger Flick. He’s on the money immediately, hard to get away. QDK flicks a single, and Ashwin slips in a wide, but that’s it for the over.

Turned alright, Ashwin. And then two balls later it goes the other way. Classy Ashwin.#IndvSA #ct2017

11.12am BST

9th over: South Africa 33-0 (de Kock 19, Amla 11)

Another beauty from Kumar, he’s putting together an artist’s spell here. Amla is such a class batsman, but Bhuvi hits the perfect length to get the batsman stuck, feet not moving, then the ball decks in off the seam and so narrowly misses cleaning up the stumps. Or making a mess of them. How are those two contradictory phrases used to mean the same thing? Someone dial up Linguistics, stat. The batsmen get three singles from the over.

Almost definitely, yes. pic.twitter.com/z0PDEJCcTH

11.07am BST

8th over: South Africa 30-0 (de Kock 17, Amla 10)

The bhangra drums fire up again as Bumrah bowls another good over, with Amla circumspect and de Kock chastened. The South Africans are trying to maintain patience and composure - we’ve seen in this tournament how often it has been difficult early for batsmen, then got far easier into the middle overs.

11.05am BST

7th over: South Africa 28-0 (de Kock 17, Amla 9)

Suddenly de Kock has lost it. He gets on strike with four balls left in Kumar’s over, and starts attempting to wallop. Twists the bat in his hand the first ball, then misses completely the next two. Ugly swats. The last ball of the over is a beauty, right in the channel, and Quinton is Calais, stranded on the far side.

"Not so much supping in the last chance saloon as binge-drinking the final dregs of hope" - the @bbctms view on South Africa #INDvSA

10.59am BST

6th over: South Africa 26-0 (de Kock 16, Amla 8)

Bumrah, wide outside off and de Kock laces the cut, but straight to the field. Gets stuck the next few balls with a tighter line before shovelling a drive on the leg side for one. Then Amla arrives. Gorgeous. Dreamy. What a shot. It’s not a bad ball, just back of a length, just outside off. He doesn’t chop it behind point. Or cut it. Or force it. Or glide it. He stands up on his toes, weight on his back foot, and drives, genuinely drives with a vertical bat, but with the bat-face open and flowing through with elbow, in a square drive through backward point for four. That should be impossible. But I saw it. It was real.

10.53am BST

5th over: South Africa 21-0 (de Kock 15, Amla 4)

Another early boundary to the left-handed de Kock, as Bhuvneshwar strays down leg side and this time the batsman gets a touch on it and sends it to the fine leg fence. Similar line is glanced for a single, then Bhuvi tightens up the line to the right-handed Amla. He’s definitely finding that side of the wicket easier thus far. This niche enthusiasm from the first over will have waned.

Get in, Bhuvi. #CT17 pic.twitter.com/zaKM9xXAj3

10.50am BST

4th over: South Africa 16-0 (de Kock 10, Amla 4)

Four. First ball of the over, Bumrah goes full, and de Kock plays a straight drive past him to the fence. No trouble there. There is trouble when Amla swats across the line, edges into his body, and the ball pops up in the air. He doesn’t know where it is, so he sort of leans over his wicket with his upper body in case the rebounding ball falls nearby.

10.48am BST

3rd over: South Africa 9-0 (de Kock 4, Amla 3)

Nearly a run out! Amla pushes Bhuvneshwar down to mid off and starts running. Why? We’ll never know. He realises within two steps that he’s in trouble, but it would be slower to send de Kock back. So Amla sprints down the middle of the pitch like Forrest Gump down a highway line, and if mid-off’s tumbling throw had hit, it would have been gone. But Rohit is Nohit, and Amla survives.

Nice to see some Aussies still in #CT17

10.42am BST

2nd over: South Africa 4-0 (de Kock 1, Amla 2)

Jasprit Bumrah from the other end, and it’s a very good start from him. I’m a big fan of this young bowler, he was so impressive in his debut international season in Australia a couple of summers back. Full of energy, full of intent. He’s not at top pace yet, topping out at about 85 miles per hour, but he’s on line from the start and South Africa can only harvest a single to Amla, as de Kock is tangled up a few times.

10.37am BST

1st over: South Africa 3-0 (de Kock 1, Amla 1)

Here we go, here we go, here we here we here we go. Bhuvneshwar Kumar will open the bowling from the Pavilion End, searching for swing. There ain’t any, as he lollops a wide down the leg side. De Kock squirts a single next ball, then after some defensive strokes Amla edges one along the ground wide of slip. Groans from the crowd.

10.29am BST

Ah yes, and the people’s anthem once again. “I’m gonna fight ‘em off. A seven nation army couldn’t hold me back.” Doo do do do do doo doo.

10.27am BST

In a marked departure from how things go in my native Australia, literally every person in sight is standing for the national anthems except for me. I’m on one of the outside desks in the grandstand at The Oval, and feeling very surrounded. It’s hard to type and stand up at the same time. Clearly I don’t feel self-conscious about it. Not at all.

10.25am BST

There is a particular drama to the ICC entrance music. It’s cinematic. It’s Once Upon a Time in America. It’s a convoy of tall ships pulling into harbour through the mist and rain. It’s Jean Valjean lifting up stones on the chain gang. It’s a Fiddler on the Roof lament, a dark and brooding tune that flowers into brass and drums. Oh, drama. How we respond to thee.

10.20am BST

As you’d expect, the atmosphere down at the ground in intense. I’ve been staying across the road from The Oval, and from about 8:45 this morning the calls of “Indiaaaaaa, India!” have been echoing over Kennington’s streets. The ground isn’t totally packed out yet, but it’s well on the way. There are ticket touts swarming out the front, so presumably tickets are at least scarce if not non-existent. This was the scene outside the ground earlier, thanks to our comrade Adam Collins.

Dance off behind the pavilion with the Indian fans. Glorious day at the People's Ground for the #SAvIND quasi-quarter final. #CT17 pic.twitter.com/20JabvqcuJ

10.13am BST

There we are, back to the preferred chasing method for Kohli and co., after being done in by Sri Lanka batting first.

Re the teams, the big news is that Ravichandran Ashwin is back in the side. The premier Test off-spinner hasn’t been first choice in the ODI side, but with The Oval track more conducive for tweak, he’s come in for Umesh Yadav.

10.07am BST

If you’d like to enjoy a little more flavour around Australia being knocked out, some of the crowd work from the Hollies Stand at Edgbaston yesterday in partnership with Aaron Finch was outstanding. Priming for the Ashes in 2019.

@AaronFinch5 Did you enjoy your day yesterday? You're a top man, fair play to you for dealing with this all day! pic.twitter.com/1G4GmwIiPE

10.02am BST

Good morning all. As your newly elected leader, I pledge to govern this minority OBO in a strong and stable fashion. I’m sorry to those OBO members who’ve lost their keyboards, but our friends and allies in the Democratic Union of Rob Smyth will assist us in OBOing for all readers, and managing a stable and secure OBOrexit at the end of the match.

The sun has finally deigned to shine on this Champions Trophy. It’s a glorious morning here at The Oval, with blue skies and high cloud interspersed in equal measure. Two top teams will go head to head, with only the winner proceeding to a semi-final against surprise entrant Bangladesh, after the Australians were knocked out yesterday by a jubilant England.

12.52am BST

Hello. Geoff will be here shortly. Until then, here’s Ali Martin on England’s win over Australia yesterday.

Ben Stokes left Edgbaston with praise from both captains ringing in his ears following the destructive unbeaten 102 that sees England head into their Champions Trophy semi-final on Wednesday glowing with confidence and Australia on the next plane home.

Stokes, in registering his third one-day hundred, continued a rich run of form that has carried through from his time in the Indian Premier League. The Rising Pune Supergiants made him the tournament’s most expensive overseas player with a £1.7m deal but for his national team captain, the all-rounder is priceless.

View more on Rob Smyth's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on June 11, 2017 08:53

June 4, 2017

India v Pakistan: Champions Trophy – live!

ICC Champions Trophy updates as India take on PakistanKohli quells rift with Anil Kumble as India prepare for Pakistan Amir’s reawakening can jolt India and lift Pakistan from torpor Email Rob with all of your thoughts

9.26am BST

Wow just walking to the ground for the India vs Pakistan game,its absolutely carnage already! Great to see so many cricket fans about #CT17

5.09pm BST

Morning folks. India v Pakistan is the biggest game of all, but it feels pretty small after last night’s terror attack in London. Human nature will doubtless kick in once the game starts. The defending champions India are strong favourites: they have a spectacular record against Pakistan in global tournaments and are a more modern, accomplished ODI side. The rankings say this is 3rd v 8th, which feels about right. The toss is at 10am, the first ball at 10.30.

View more on Rob Smyth's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on June 04, 2017 01:30

June 3, 2017

South Africa beat Sri Lanka: Champions Trophy - as it happened

South Africa thrashed Sri Lanka at the Oval, with Hashim Amla making a century and Imran Tahir picking up four wickets

6.53pm BST

6.23pm BST

That’s it! Pradeep holes out off Tahir, who ends with terrific figures of four for 27. That’s an excellent win for South Africa. It’s not often you come from behind to win emphatically, but that’s exactly what they did. AB de Villiers’ majestic run out of Chandimal was the turning point, and after that Imran Tahir ran riot. South Africa’s next game is against Pakistan on Wednesday, then Sri Lanka meet India on Thursday. Thanks for your company, goodnight

6.21pm BST

41st over: Sri Lanka 203-9 (Perera 44, Pradeep 5) Perera blasts Rabada down the ground for four. He has quietly played a very good if futile innings.

6.16pm BST

40th over: Sri Lanka 194-9 (Perera 40, Pradeep 0) Perera breaks his bat, unnecessarily delaying my Saturday night by a couple more minutes as a result. I hate this part of a one-day game, when the game is over but not over. It’s like having to sit through half an hour of credits before you can leave the cinema.

6.11pm BST

39th over: Sri Lanka 192 -9 (Perera 38, Pradeep 0)

6.07pm BST

What high standards @OfficialCSA maintain in the field .. even Imran Thahir is getting direct hits #SLvSA #CT17

6.07pm BST

It’s ending in a hurry. Malinga backs away to Rabada and drags the ball back onto the stumps.

6.05pm BST

38th over: Sri Lanka 192 -8 (Perera 38, Malinga 1)

6.03pm BST

Oh dear. Lajmal drags Morris to mid-on and sets off. Perera sends him back, and Tahir - Tahir! - throws down the stumps at the batsman’s end.

5.59pm BST

Just when Sri Lanka thought they were back in, Morris pulls them out. He’s trapped Prasanna LBW with a wicket-to-wicket delivery that beat Prasanna’s attempted work to leg. Prasanna reviewed it, tactically as much as anything, bit it was hitting the top of middle and leg.

5.56pm BST

37th over: Sri Lanka 191-6 (Perera 38, Prasanna 13) Rabada’s bouncer is helped round the corner for four by Perera. This is stealthy stuff from Perera and Prasanna, which has given Sri Lanka a slight chance of nicking a victory. They need 109 from 13 overs.

5.52pm BST

36th over: Sri Lanka 186-6 (Perera 34, Prasanna 12) That’s more like it. Prasanna opens his shoulders, cracking Morris for a big six over midwicket. He follows up by sledging Morris, who is about a foot taller than him. Ten from the over, Sri Lanka’s best since that early assault.

5.47pm BST

35th over: Sri Lanka 176-6 (Perera 32, Prasanna 4) Rabada returns to the attack and concedes five singles. This is not the most thrilling end to a one-day match.

5.43pm BST

34th over: Sri Lanka 171-6 (Perera 29, Prasanna 3) Morris replaces Tahir, whose bowling has decided this match. Perera smacks a defiant pull through midwicket for four. He has 29 from 47 balls; Prasanna has two from 11.

5.39pm BST

33rd over: Sri Lanka 165-6 (Perera 23, Prasanna 3) Parnell completes a spell of two halves: 5-0-45-0 with the new ball, 5-0-9-0 with the old.

5.35pm BST

32nd over: Sri Lanka 165-6 (Perera 23, Prasanna 2) Perera pulls Tahir round the corner for his second boundary. Seven from the over.

5.32pm BST

31st over: Sri Lanka 158-6 (Perera 17, Prasanna 1) Perera has been left alone on the burning deck. Prasanna can biff the ball but I wouldn’t expect him to hang around for long, and there isn’t much after that.

“Afternoon, Rob,” says Jonathan Woods. “I’m actually at the Oval for today’s game but I’m such an avid OBO-er that I’m following on two fronts. Anyway, I’m sat in the front row (which is a new one) and I am in unfortunately close proximity to the speaker system. Without wanting to sound like a curmudgeon, has anybody’s matchday experience ever been improved by 15-second interludes of music every time there’s a break in play? If not, is anybody able to explain why this tradition started? My ears hurt.”

5.29pm BST

30th over: Sri Lanka 156-6 (Perera 15, Prasanna 1) Tahir has figures of three for 20. Breaking news: Adil Rashid will be recalled for England against New Zealand on Tuesday.

5.24pm BST

Imran Tahir is off on another lap of honour after taking his third wicket. Gunaratne, who was struggling to get going, had a bit of a desperate swipe that looped gently to Parnell at cover.

5.22pm BST

29th over: Sri Lanka 155-5 (Perera 15, Gunaratne 4) This is a much better spell from Parnell, aided by the fact he is no longer bowling to Dickwella. He’s bowled three overs for seven, and now Sri Lanka required almost seven an over.

5.18pm BST

28th over: Sri Lanka 151 -5 (Perera 14, Gunaratne 2)

5.15pm BST

27th over: Sri Lanka 149-5 (Perera 13, Gunaratne 1) Even with 23 overs remaining, this feels like a formality. Two from Parnell’s over, which leaves Sri Lanka needing 151 from those 23 overs.

5.10pm BST

26th over: Sri Lanka 147-5 (Perera 12, Gunaratne 0) Tahir has figures of 5-0-16-2 and has changed the match. He almost picked up a third wicket, with Perera chipping just short of long off.

5.08pm BST

Tharanga has fallen to the superb Tahir. He lifted a googly high over the off side, and Miller ran in from the boundary to take a good sliding catch. That should be the match.

5.05pm BST

25th over: Sri Lanka 145-4 (Tharanga 57, Perera 10) Parnell replaces Duminy. He was very expensive early on, though that’s a lot better - two from the over, and the required rate has crept above six an over.

5.02pm BST

23rd over: Sri Lanka 143-4 (Tharanga 55, Perera 9) A long hop from Tahir is belted over midwicket for four by Tharanga. A better over for Sri Lanka, seven from it.

4.58pm BST

23rd over: Sri Lanka 136-4 (Tharanga 50, Perera 8) Perera sweeps a low full toss from Duminy for four, the first boundary for eight overs. Duminy is running back to his mark so that he can rush through, and there are no further runs from the over.

4.57pm BST

22nd over: Sri Lanka 132-4 (Tharanga 50, Perera 3) Tharanga slices Tahir airily through the covers for a couple, which brings up an excellent half-century from 59 balls.

4.54pm BST

21st over: Sri Lanka 127-4 (Tharanga 47, Perera 2) Spin at both ends, with JP Duminy replacing Morkel. He rushes through his first over at a cost of just three. The run-rate isn’t a problem for Sri Lanka, as they still need less than a run a ball; the loss of four wickets is a big problem.

Meanwhile, there is the not inconsiderable matter of India v Pakistan tomorrow, and we have baked some fresh prose for your delectation.

4.49pm BST

20th over: Sri Lanka 124-4 (Tharanga 46, Perera 1) Perera survives a big appeal for caught behind off a lovely googly from Tahir. South Africa considered the review before deciding against it. Hotspot suggests there was no edge. Another fine over from Tahir, who has completely changed the mood of this match.

4.45pm BST

19th over: Sri Lanka 123-4 (Tharanga 45, Perera 1) It makes sense for Morkel to continue, now that there are two left-handers at the crease. The No7 Gunaratne is a good player, but Sri Lanka don’t have much after that. This match will take a deal of winning.

4.40pm BST

18th over: Sri Lanka 117-4 (Tharanga 41, Perera 0) I would humbly suggest that Sri Lanka are in the malodorous stuff. After an abysmal start, South Africa have fought back splendidly with the ball and in the field. A fine first over from Imran Tahir: one run and two wickets, including the run-out.

4.38pm BST

Kapugedera goes first ball! Tahir put in a slip as a bluff and then skidded one through to hit the pad as Kapugedera worked across the line. It was plumb LBW.

4.35pm BST

Glorious fielding from AB de Villiers! Chandimal tried to steal a single off the new bowler Imran Tahir when the sliding de Villiers misfielded at extra cover. But he got straight to his feet, swooped on the ball and threw down the stumps while still off balance. The decision went upstairs and replays showed Chandimal was just short of his ground. That is a big wicket, both in its timing and manner.

4.32pm BST

17th over: Sri Lanka 116-2 (Tharanga 40, Chandimal 12) Morkel continues, though Tahir is starting to get loose. Chandimal flicks pleasantly into the leg side for a couple, with five from the over in total. Sri Lanka need 184 from 33 overs.

4.27pm BST

16th over: Sri Lanka 111-2 (Tharanga 39, Chandimal 8) Tharanga is going at more than a run a ball, 39 from 38 balls. He hasn’t had much of the strike. These two are Sri Lanka’s most experienced batsmen, so this is a very important partnership.

4.22pm BST

15th over: Sri Lanka 105-2 (Tharanga 35, Chandimal 8) Chandimal gets his first boundary, slamming a short one from Morkel through point. Four or five an over is all Sri Lanka need for the next hour or so, provided they don’t lose wickets.

4.16pm BST

14th over: Sri Lanka 100-2 (Tharanga 34, Chandimal 4) Morris slips one past Tharanga’s outside edge. The two tall guys, Morkel and Morris, have dragged South Africa back into this game, with just 13 runs coming from the last four overs. Sri Lanka have still brought up their hundred in great time, and they have 36 overs to get the remaining 200 runs. Time for drinks.

4.12pm BST

13th over: Sri Lanka 97-2 (Tharanga 33, Chandimal 2) “Disappointed? Get used to it,” writes

Theres-
John Starbuck. “You’re a cricket journalist. Not darts either. The only pub game I was any good at was Spoof. I’m currently alternating between the OBO and Notts against Derbys. It looks like we’ve begun taking wickets again (thanks Samit). See this and wonder why so many other first-class counties don’t do the same.”

Crikey, yes, that’s excellent. It’s not Teletext though, is it.

4.08pm BST

12th over: Sri Lanka 95-2 (Tharanga 32, Chandimal 1) South Africa are back in this. The required rate is low, below five and a half, so wickets like that are vital.

4.07pm BST

Chris Morris replaces Wayne Parnell, who bowled five overs of dung, and strikes in his first over. Mendis chipped the ball towards short mid-on, where de Villiers extended a telescopic right arm to take a difficult catch with nonchalant ease.

4.04pm BST

Public service announcement

“Hi Rob,” says Joe Neate. “Once again a motley group of part-time OBO readers are heading off for our fifth year on a couple of jaunts to play cricket, one in Brighton in mid-August, and then across in Italy in mid-September. You can read about our previous exploits here and if you’re interested in turning out for us, any and all abilities are absolutely welcome. We also welcome umpires, scorers, spectators, or journalists (in order of importance). We’re also looking for a third team to join us for the Italy weekend. The tours are always AMAZING fun. It’s a great group of people, all games are played in the right spirit, and we always fit in a smidgen of something culture-y, as befitting a group of Guardian readers. It’s not all cricket and gin and tonics. Honest.”

4.01pm BST

11th over: Sri Lanka 91-1 (Tharanga 30, Mendis 10) Tharanga is turned round by Morkel and edges wide of slip for a single. Later in the over he’s beaten, trying to cut a ball that keeps slightly low. Morkel feels like a key man for South Africa, who are in reasonably urgent need of wickets.

3.58pm BST

10th over: Sri Lanka 87-1 (Tharanga 28, Mendis 8) Tharanga plays another beautiful cover-drive for four off Parnell, and then larrups a pull stroke wide of mid-on for yet another boundary. This really is exhilarating stuff. Sri Lanka need 213 from 40 overs.

3.53pm BST

9th over: Sri Lanka 77-1 (Tharanga 18, Mendis 8) The talented Kusal Mendis is the new batsman, and he gets off the mark with consecutive boundaries. The first was a withering pull stroke, the second a lovely, wristy flick over midwicket.

“Morning Rob,” says Phil Withall. “Many moons ago I met and fell in love with an Australian and moved over to the ‘Lucky country’. Since then I have been able to get tickets to Ashes Tests without the need of pesky, market driven plane tickets. He should, however, be aware of the downside to such moves. These include having to watch Australian television, lots of things that will kill you, a lack of coverage of Ryman league football, Rupert Murdoch owning everything and XXXX gold, a beer so disgusting it should be banned by some international treaty or other. On balance it’s possibly still worth it.”

3.48pm BST

Dickwella receives a massage and a banana between overs, presumably for cramp. He can now have a full Shiatsu massage if he wants, because he’s out. He launched into the new bowler Morne Morkel but could only slice the ball high to Parnell at third man. He played a cracking little innings, 41 from 33 balls.

3.43pm BST

8th over: Sri Lanka 68-0 (Dickwella 41, Tharanga 17) Tharanga times Parnell through extra cover for four, a gorgeous shot, and flogs the next ball over mid-on for four more! A Sri Lanka win would shatter the assumption that India and South Africa are in the semi-finals already. They are well on course at the moment; they need 232 from 42 overs.

3.39pm BST

7th over: Sri Lanka 58-0 (Dickwella 40, Tharanga 8) Dickwella must be bloody annoying to bowl at, with his unorthodox approach and relentless aggression. Rabada switches to around the wicket, so Dickwella belts consecutive deliveries over the legside for six and four! Tremendous stuff. The six was a mighty pick up over midwicket. Fifteen from the over!

“Coming late to this OBO because Andy Murray one again proves to be (spoiler alert!) the Last Brit Standing at Roland Garros, I suspect many other readers have done the same, which may be why Nick Miller didn’t get much correspondence,” says John Starbuck. “Printable stuff, anyway. A pity this game was up against that rival attraction, but I understand there’s some more football to come and perhaps even rugby, though I never bother with that and it doesn’t bother with me. No doubt there’ll be some tedious horse-racing too somewhere. Are there any rival sporting occasions for the later stages of this competition?”

3.33pm BST

6th over: Sri Lanka 43-0 (Dickwella 27, Tharanga 8) Dickwella carries on breezily, tickling Parnell to fine leg for four. He has 27 from 24 balls. Tharanga decides to join in the fun, pulling Parnell authoritatively for four. South Africa are having what is described in more banter-friendly cultures as a Weston Super.

“That was the worst attempt at a caught & bowled since I dropped my own hat-trick ball aged 11,” says Simon Thomas. “’Never mind’, I told myself, ‘I’ll get one soon’. Nope.... 36 seasons later and they don’t bowl me anymore.”

3.28pm BST

5th over: Sri Lanka 32-0 (Dickwella 24, Tharanga 4) Dickwella can play on the leg side too. He pings Rabada jauntily over midwicket for his fourth boundary - and then he is dropped. It was another return chance for the bowler Rabada, though this was a much tougher one down to his left. Rabada’s difficult start continues with a no-ball, which means the first free hit of the tournament; Tharanga can only drive it for a single.

“Andrew Benton poses an interesting conundrum,” says Bill Hargreaves. “And I’m sure it’s one playing on the minds of many readers. My advice would be to consult his erstwhile employees to ensure that he will be able to take those days off, or at least call in sick. If not, he might end up with a significant career change and not so much as a Test match hot dog to look back on.”

3.23pm BST

4th over: Sri Lanka 22-0 (Dickwella 17, Tharanga 3) Dickwella, again making room for a big off-side shot, edges Parnell high over the slips for four. He’s a little firecracker of an opener, who usually gets Sri Lanka off to a brisk start. After a sweet drive over point for four later in the over, he has 17 from 15 balls.

3.18pm BST

3rd over: Sri Lanka 10-0 (Dickwella 7, Tharanga 2) Rabada drops a sitter off his own bowling! Tharanga mishit a pull that went straight back to Rabada, and somehow he put it down. I wonder if he was beaten for lack of pace because it came back to him really slowly. Either way, it was such a dolly that I sincerely believe that even I would have had a 12 per cent chance of catching it. An excellent over from Rabada the bowler, if not Rabada the fielder, costs just one run.

3.14pm BST

2nd over: Sri Lanka 9-0 (Dickwella 7, Tharanga 2) The new ball will be shared by Mr Wayne Parnell. Dickwella has no qualms about showing his stumps and giving himself room to hit through the off side. He does it twice in that Parnell over: the first attempt hits the field, the second is launched over extra cover for the first boundary of the innings.

“Rob, I’d like some advice,” says Andrew Benton. “Should I apply for a job in Adelaide, in the hope that if I get it, I’d be able to go to the Ashes without buying a return ticket to Australia at those expensive Christmas and New Year prices? Thanks, erm, mate.”

3.10pm BST

1st over: Sri Lanka 3-0 (Dickwella 2, Tharanga 1) Kagiso Rabada, the No1 bowler in the ODI rankings, will start to Sri Lanka’s left-handed openers. Dickwella gives his fifth ball the charge and misses an attempted off-side biff. Three singles from the over.

3.04pm BST

Anyone out there? What shall we talk about today, the minutiae of this game aside?

2.55pm BST

Hello folks. Against most expectations, we might have a game on at the Oval. Sri Lanka were pulverised 5-0 in South Africa last winter but bowled excellently this morning to restrict them to 299 for six. A target of 300 is still tricky, especially as Sri Lanka are without Angelo Mathews and South Africa are with Kagiso Rabada, but they have a chance. And that’s all anyone wants in life.

2.44pm BST

That’ll do from me - over to Rob Smyth to bring you news of the Sri Lankan reply. Email Rob.Smyth@theGuardian.com.

2.40pm BST

Difficult to really know what to make of that. A pretty decent bowling effort from Sri Lanka, particularly Pradeep, and there were phases where South Africa seemed supremely bogged down. But ultimately 299 on a pitch that wasn’t especially good for big hitting will probably be enough. It will certainly take quite an effort from an under-strength Sri Lankan batting line-up to chase this down.

2.38pm BST

50th over: South Africa 299-6 (Duminy 38, Parnell 7) Duminy tries a lap sweep from the excellent Pradeep but misses, then has to nudge a single to point. Pradeep sends down a couple of wide yorkers to Parnell, one of which he misses, another he bunts for a single, then Duminy finally gets a boundary from one that doesn’t quite make the yorker and he drills it straight for four. Then, from the final ball, Pradeep overcompensates and sends down a full-toss, which Duminy plonks over wide long-on for six. So, in the end, a decent last over.

2.33pm BST

49th over: South Africa 287-6 (Duminy 27, Parnell 6) Parnell comes down the track and slaps a couple, badly timed, which allows them to come back for two. Malinga sends down a couple of slower balls that Parnells swings from his toes at, but misses both. Another slowie is almost chipped straight back to the bowler, then yet another - wider, this time - loops over point and drops in for a couple. Then a virtual action replay ends in a close call for a run-out, but Parnell was in. Six runs from the over, none of them especially convincing.

Incidentally, the Sri Lankan innings was supposed to start three minutes ago. Tharanga might find his match fee envelope a little light.

2.27pm BST

48th over: South Africa 281-6 (Duminy 27, Parnell 0) Duminy square drives the last ball of the over, and it goes straight through point and to the boundary. Unlucky for Pradeep - that was an excellent over.

2.26pm BST

The batsmen trade singles from the first four balls of a good Pradeep over, then Morris hits straight to Tharanga at cover and tries to dash through for another. But the Sri Lanka skipper collects, takes aim and calmly throws the stumps down with Morris having given up about 3/4 of the way down the pitch.

2.20pm BST

47th over: South Africa 273-5 (Duminy 21, Morris 18) Malinga starts with a wide, follows it with a solid yorker then sends down another wide. Not ideal. Morris then smears a shot straight back at Malinga which he sort of attempts to catch, but it probably would have taken his hands off and in the direction of Putney if he had. Both batsmen try big drives without much joy, so Duminy drops to one knee and scoops the ball over short fine-leg and to the boundary. Lovely touch.

2.14pm BST

46th over: South Africa 262-5 (Duminy 15, Morris 15) Duminy gets a boundary in a similar place to the one from the previous over, but this time not quite as deliberately - he drives, but only gets a toe-end on the ball and it scoots past the keeper and to the ropes. Duminy tries a couple of lap sweeps, which don’t really work, and three more runs - one a leg-bye, one a wide - come from the over.

2.08pm BST

45th over: South Africa 255-5 (Duminy 10, Morris 15) Malinga in again, and Morris plays a textbook cover drive wide of a diving mid-off and to the fence. A single, then Duminy plays a lovely shot as he opens the face and guides a full ball just wide of the diving wicketkeeper and to the boundary. Another single, and that’s 11 from another good over.

A slight oddly-paced innings from Hash, then.

Amla scored 13 off his first 27 balls (RR 2.88), 71 off his next 59 balls (RR 7.22) and 17 off his last 29 balls (RR 3.51). #CT17

2.03pm BST

44th over: South Africa 244-5 (Duminy 4, Morris 10) Lakmal flings down a short, wide one and Morris slaps it wide of third man and gets four. A couple more singles, then Lakmal again drops short, this time straighter, and Morris pulls him in front of square for another boundary. Ten from the over, which is probably what they need every over from this point.

1.58pm BST

43rd over: South Africa 234-5 (Duminy 3, Morris 1) South Africa really are making something of a balls of this, although the pitch doesn’t seem conducive to bit hitting. Morris, new man, shows a little intent but only gets a single. They’ll be lucky to get over 270-280 here.

1.56pm BST

Duminy plays a lap-sweep to get off the mark with a couple off Gunaratne. Then after a single, a calamity: Amla pushes into the leg side, completes one then dashes back for the second, but a full-length dive isn’t enough to get him there, and Dickwella whips the bails off after a good throw from Mendis. So far was he out, that umpire Dar gave him out on the field, rather than going upstairs.

1.51pm BST

42nd over: South Africa 228-4 (Amla 102, Duminy 0) Amla carves a couple down to third man, then new man JP Duminy almost manages to get himself run out as they think about a single, but decide against it.

1.49pm BST

Amla, on 99, wafts at one from the returning Lakmal outside off and both bowler and keeper go up, but there was daylight betwixt bat and ball there. No dice. Amla then tucks a single into the leg side to bring up his 25th ODI century - what a man. But then next ball Miller comes down the pitch, Lakmal drops a bit short and he plays a profoundly curious shot, trying to flick to square-leg but instead it flies off the outside edge, and it sails straight into the hands of Prasanna at third man.

1.45pm BST

1.44pm BST

41st over: South Africa 225-3 (Amla 99, Miller 18) Gunaratne has more than a whiff of New Zealand all-rounder of yore, Chris Harris about him. A dobber, and no mistake, but he’s keeping things tightish at the moment. Miller tries to sweep him, then Amla comes back for a spicy second after spotting the fielder in the deep is Malinga, who duly makes a rather ropy throw and they make it home in time. Only one more single comes, and that’s four from the over.

1.40pm BST

40th over: South Africa 221-3 (Amla 96, Miller 17) Here’s Malinga, who has four overs (including this one) remaining. Again, both batsmen are cool with singles - just two, this time - and Amla does well to dig out one of those special Malinga yorkers. Only nine runs from the last three overs.

1.34pm BST

39th over: South Africa 219-3 (Amla 95, Miller 16) Gunaratne continues with that leg-stump line to Amla, but the batsmen still seem to content to work him for singles. Five on them, to be exact.

1.31pm BST

38th over: South Africa 214-3 (Amla 92, Miller 14) Pradeep having a bit more joy than the spinner Prasanna. He beats Miller’s outside edge, then only concedes two singles from the remaining five balls.

1.26pm BST

37th over: South Africa 212-3 (Amla 91, Miller 13) Miller is off, now: he charges Prasanna and absolutely brutalises a straight drive that probably didn’t get much higher than about 12ft, but thudded into the advertising boards. Four other singles from the over.

1.23pm BST

36th over: South Africa 202-3 (Amla 89, Miller 5) Good bowling from Pradeep, who beats Miller’s outside edge then nearly takes his head off with a rapid bouncer. 200 comes up with a quick single into the covers for Miller, then Pradeep tries another bumper to Amla, but that one is judged too high - seemed a smidge harsh.

1.17pm BST

35th over: South Africa 198-3 (Amla 87, Miller 4) No messing from new man David Miller, who drives very nicely straight down the ground for four, from his first ball. Still, a good couple of overs for Sri Lanka, ridding themselves of de Villiers and du Plessis in successive overs.

1.15pm BST

Oh. Well. OK. De Villiers tries to go big straight away, but gets a massive leading edge to an attempted whip through mid-wicket, and it gently loops up into the waiting hands of Kapugedara, waiting at mid-off.

1.12pm BST

34th over: South Africa 190-2 (Amla 86, de Villiers 1) Good news and bad news, Sri Lanka. Sure, you’ve taken the wicket which is nice, but here’s AB de Villiers. He tries to get going straight away, but there’s only a single to be had from a firm shot through the covers.

1.11pm BST

Du Plessis starts to put the foot down. Pradeep serves up a wide one which he carves over point and to the boundary, but the next ball is a straighter one, which he tries to pull in front of mid-wicket, but doesn’t get enough on it and the fielder at the edge of the circle takes a smart catch.

1.05pm BST

33rd over: South Africa 183-1 (Amla 85, du Plessis 70) Du Plessis tries to go big with a slog-sweep off Prasanna but doesn’t get enough of it, and only gets a single for his trouble. Four runs from the over, which is quite the result for Sri Lanka.

1.02pm BST

32nd over: South Africa 179-1 (Amla 83, du Plessis 68) Sheesh, what a shot. Gunaratne continues that around the wicket line to Amla, which is OK expect when he floats up a leg-stump half-volley, which Amla duly flicks with casual power over square leg and to the boundary.

12.59pm BST

31st over: South Africa 171-1 (Amla 77, du Plessis 66) Lovely shot from du Plessis, opening himself up and driving between cover and mid-off to the boundary off Prasanna. He then plays one of those slightly weird, almost back-foot cover drives from a full ball, but can’t pierce the infield. Still, eight runs from the over.

12.51pm BST

30th over: South Africa 163-1 (Amla 76, du Plessis 59) First real sign of any problems for Amla in ages, as he gets a leading edge to one off Gunaratne as he tries to flick through mid-wicket. Another six drama-free runs, but you wonder when they’re going to set loose...

It's time for one of these two to go hard to push on for 330 ish. Loads of batting to come.

12.46pm BST

29th over: South Africa 157-1 (Amla 72, du Plessis 57) Du Plessis doesn’t get all of a pull out to mid-wicket, but still manages a couple of runs. Then he skips down the track and tries to put the ball in the Thames, but completely misses and in the end is lucky not to get an outside edge. A few more runs come, but then Lakmal beats an attempted late dab outside off from du Plessis - six from the over, and at this stage Sri Lanka might regard that as a decent result.

12.41pm BST

28th over: South Africa 151-1 (Amla 71, du Plessis 52) Du Plessis reaches his fifty off a Gunaratne ball that he whips off middle stump. Five more singles from the over, as South Africa set themselves up very nicely for what will presumably be quite a spicy last 20 overs.

12.37pm BST

27th over: South Africa 145-1 (Amla 68, du Plessis 49) Lakmal is brought back by Thuranga, and is welcomed by a brutal du Plessis pull that in front of mid-wicket which goes for four. Lakmal goes short a couple more times, and is lucky to get away without conceding any further boundaries to both du Plessis and Amla. Slightly odd tactic on a pitch that is less than zippy. 100 partnership comes up.

12.31pm BST

26th over: South Africa 136-1 (Amla 67, du Plessis 41) Everyone is nice and hydrated, and now Gunaratne is back into the attack. Some hard running brings two for du Plessis, down to deep square leg. Another four singles from the over.

12.29pm BST

Also, have we all heard Arcade Fire’s new one? It sounds like ABBA, and I could not possibly be more delighted.

12.28pm BST

While the players take a drink at the Oval, let’s have a look at how yesterday went. Ali Martin’s report from Australia v New Zealand at Edgbaston is here...

12.26pm BST

25th over: South Africa 130-1 (Amla 65, du Plessis 37) Malinga loses a slower ball which loops down leg for a wide, but he does also manage to beat du Plessis’s outside edge as he goes for a late dab. Five from the over.

12.22pm BST

24th over: South Africa 125-1 (Amla 63, du Plessis 35) Du Plessis drags a sweep from outside off in front of square on the leg side, and gets a boundary for his efforts. Then after a single, Amla sprints down the pitch and absolutely launches Prasanna over wide long-on for six. Think we can say he’s in, now.

12.19pm BST

23rd over: South Africa 114-1 (Amla 57, du Plessis 30) Malinga returns to the attack, and drifts into Amla’s pads, a line he takes advantage of by flipping the ball past short fine leg and down to the boundary. Amla takes three more, then Gunaratne produces a fine bit of fielding in that fine leg position, saving a du Plessis pull that could quite easily have gone down to the boundary.

12.14pm BST

22nd over: South Africa 106-1 (Amla 50, du Plessis 29) Amla plays a slightly odd shot, rocking back and trying to launch one over mid-wicket, but doesn’t really time it properly and it goes high, but not very far, drops before the boundary and they only get two. Prasanna then drops short outside off, and Amla cuts through the hands of the man at point, out to the ropes, then a single brings up the great man’s half century.

12.10pm BST

21st over: South Africa 97-1 (Amla 42, du Plessis 28) Smart running turns a single into a couple for du Plessis as Malinga is a little sluggish in getting to the ball. This stage of an innings is never thrillingly entertaining, but South Africa take seven runs from the over with nary a hint of mither.

12.06pm BST

20th over: South Africa 90-1 (Amla 39, du Plessis 24) Rapid-fire Prasanna continues, and is pushed all around the ground for three singles first up, then du Plessis sweeps expertly behind square for four. Two more singles, and that’s nine from the over.

12.03pm BST

19th over: South Africa 81-1 (Amla 36, du Plessis 18) Gunaratne returns, replacing Pradeep, and is round the wicket to the right handers again. Du Plessis uses his wrists to send a few singles around, then Amla decides to sod this for a game o’ soldiers, clears the old front leg and launches a floater from Gunaratne over the long-off fence. First six of the innings, and South Africa are making much lighter work of this slightly tricky pitch now.

11.58am BST

18th over: South Africa 70-1 (Amla 26, du Plessis 17) Prasanna rattles through another over, the only significant shot coming from a du Plessis back-foot push that garners two runs out to wide deep cover.

11.56am BST

17th over: South Africa 67-1 (Amla 25, du Plessis 15) Oh Lasith. Oh, mate, Lasith. Du Plessis comes down the pitch, Pradeep goes short and he tries an absolutely horrible hook which goes miles in the air, down to fine leg. Malinga is there, and has an abysmal time judging the flight, the breeze presumably taking it all over the place, Malinga steps back onto the boundary rope before realising that he’s make a fluff of it, then dives forwards but drops the catch. Actually, ‘drops’ implies he had it at all - it just hit his fingers on its way to the turf. They take two runs from it, there’s a couple more singles then du Plessis plays a much better, more controlled shot to guide an intentional outside-edge past slip and to the boundary for four.

11.51am BST

16th over: South Africa 59-1 (Amla 24, du Plessis 8) Has Prasanna got the shortest run-up in international cricket? He starts about half a yard off the cut strip, and must only take five paces before reaching the crease. Amla is nearly done by one that goes straight on, playing for the turn but misjudging it and escaping with an inside edge. Four runs from the over, all singles.

11.48am BST

15th over: South Africa 55-1 (Amla 22, du Plessis 6) After everyone has a drink, du Plessis clips a couple through square-leg. Then a few balls later he repeats the trick, this time with some smart and rapid running to turn what initially looked like a single into a brace.

11.41am BST

14th over: South Africa 51-1 (Amla 22, du Plessis 2) Some spin now, as Prasanna is on from the Pavilion End. There’s a wide down leg, then a short, wide one outside off that Amla slices expertly down to the third man fence.

11.38am BST

13th over: South Africa 45-1 (Amla 18, du Plessis 1) Faf’s in, and he plays out the remainder of the over carefully, one delivery nipping back at him and taking him on the thigh pad. He gets off the mark from the final ball of the over.

11.33am BST

Beautiful delivery from Pradeep, moving away just enough but de Kock’s effort to run it off the face goes awry, and he nicks through to the keeper.

11.31am BST

12th over: South Africa 44-0 (Amla 18, de Kock 23) Bowling change - Gunaratne replaces Lakmal, and starts to de Kock with a smashing knuckleball thing that flummoxes the batsman and he’s nearly stumped. The next delivery is sent out to the third man fence for a couple, then a single, and interestingly Gunaratne stays round the wicket to righty Amla. Amla goes right back and pushes a single towards fine leg, de Kock gets another and South Africa are at least keeping the board ticking now.

11.26am BST

11th over: South Africa 39-0 (Amla 17, de Kock 19) Pradeep throws down a lovely bumper that de Kock does pretty well to get out of the way of, but a fuller ball is then chopped down to third man for a pair of runs. Then a straighter one is efficiently slapped wide of mid-on for four - a few signs of the de Kock and Amla we’re used to here. Another single, and that’s the most productive over of the innings so far - seven from it.

11.22am BST

10th over: South Africa 32-0 (Amla 17, de Kock 12) Lakmal is still on, and Amla tries to open the face and send it past point, but Kapugedara produces a brilliant diving stop that wins him pats on various parts of his body from at least five teammates. Then Amla find the boundary for the first time with a delicious shot, flicking the ball with that magnificent ease of his over mid-wicket and it skips away to the ropes. Or the cushiony pad things. Whatever they’re called.

11.18am BST

9th over: South Africa 28-0 (Amla 13, de Kock 12) A bowling change: Malinga has a blow, and Nuwan Pradeep is into the attack. Amla can’t do much of use with the first three balls, then gets a single with a fairly unconvincing thick inside-edge to mid-on. Looks like timing on this pitch is a pain. Just that single from the over, and the batsmen convene in the middle of the pitch to look at it in a deeply accusatory manner.

11.13am BST

8th over: South Africa 27-0 (Amla 12, de Kock 12) Lakmal continues, then beats Amla with an absolute peach of a ball, a McGrathian away nipper that moves just enough to zoot past the outside edge. Three more singles from the over, but that’s still another smashing over for Sri Lanka. Might have to further revise down what will constitute a defendable score on this pitch.

11.09am BST

7th over: South Africa 24-0 (Amla 10, de Kock 11) A boundary! De Kock waits for a Malinga slower one, then slaps it in entirely unconvincing fashion through point, in the air, but it skips off that massive square and away for four. Next ball is another slowie, which de Kock this time misses, playing an odd across the line shot. De Kock gets a single, then Amla pushes off the back foot and races through for another, but puts in a profoundly curious slide - not bat/head first as is regulation, but sort of sideways, like when someone slides to get under a closing door in a film. He makes it, anyway.

11.04am BST

6th over: South Africa 18-0 (Amla 9, de Kock 6) De Kock again takes a step down the track and whips one from about a middle-off line, but still only manages a single, then Amla pushes a shot down past mid-on and collects a couple. Lakmal sends a couple of short, wides ones to de Kock, the first he sort of half-heartedly slaps to cover, the second is called a wide. Then de Kock almost gets himself in a frightful mess coming down the track, on one leg, and he inside edges not far past the stumps. This could just be a particularly tacky pitch, making it tricky to get the ball off the square - it absolutely hosed down twice in south London yesterday, so there’s probably still a good amount of moisture in the turf.

10.58am BST

5th over: South Africa 12-0 (Amla 6, de Kock 4) There’s at least one trumpeter in the crowd and it sounds...how to say... ‘discordant’. Or completely out of tune. De Kock tries to force the matter by walking at Malinga, which doesn’t work, but he does manage a single with a neat dab down to third man. That’s the only run from the over, and South Africa have started in conservative fashion.

10.54am BST

4th over: South Africa 11-0 (Amla 6, de Kock 3) De Kock isn’t in the best nick, from the early evidence. Lakmal gives him a longish hop that he’d usually welt to the boundary, but he misses and for a second it looked like a hint of an under-edge. He pushes a single on the walk to mid-off, then Amla flicks one straight to mid-wicket, bouncing a few feet in front of the fielder there. Good start for Sri Lanka.

Meanwhile, Amod ‘Grumpy Wumpy Pants’ Paranjape isn’t really getting into the spirit of the whole ‘tell us about someone doing something nice’ vibe: “Focus on the Cricket mate. What nonsense. Trump is nice to the world.”

10.50am BST

Pitched in line, hitting in line, but ball tracker says it was clipping the off bail - umpire’s call, so it’s not out.

10.48am BST

Lakmal gets one to thud into de Kock’s pads from over the wicket, just above the knee roll. An enthusiastic appeal ensues, the umpire says no, but they’re going upstairs...

10.46am BST

3rd over: South Africa 10-0 (Amla 6, de Kock 2) Amla flexes those wrists and flips a single just in front of square, then de Kock gets off the mark with a considered push to mid-off. Malinga gets one to rise a bit at Amla but the great man does pretty well to ride it and takes a single to third man.

10.43am BST

If county cricket is more your thing, Willy MacP is here to bring you everything from around the country on that score.

10.42am BST

2nd over: South Africa 6-0 (Amla 4, de Kock 0) Lakmal, looking like the drummer in an acid jazz band, will be first up from the Pavilion End. There’s a spot of away shape but not much pace - his first ball is left by Amla but bounces a couple of times before it reaches the keeper. Amla then slots a push off about middle stump between two fielders, and it pleasantly ambles most of the way to the boundary and they come back for three. De Kock is either being watchful or hasn’t quite got his eye in yet, carefully prodding at his first few deliveries - a low-key couple of overs to start.

10.37am BST

1st over: South Africa 3-0 (Amla 1, de Kock 0) Amla notches his first run with a neat push off his pads to square-leg. Malinga stays over the wicket to leftie de Kock, but hoys a couple down the leg side for a pair of wides - not big ones, but wides seem to be fairly binary. Malinga keeps it all pitched up and even throws in a slower ball, but de Kock is perfectly happy to pat most of his deliveries back down the pitch.

10.32am BST

And we’re away, Lasith Malinga opening the bowling, and big Hash Amla faces first for the Saffers.

10.30am BST

“Morning Nick,” greets a sunny Jonathan Salisbury, who has some Nice News to share. “Nice to see a couple of the South Africans chatting to the kid mascots on the way out...”

That’s nice. It’s nice to be nice. Has anyone been nice to you in a relatively minor way, that they didn’t have to be recently? Nick.Miller@theGuardian.com

10.26am BST

That spider cam thing, like some sort of stringy manifestation of a police state in sport, swoops down and zooms in on the players as they sing their respective national anthems. South Africa all solemn pomp, Sri Lanka like a jaunty contribution to a Tim Burton film.

10.19am BST

The consensus seems to be that this track, a couple down from the one England and Bangladesh rattled up 600-odd runs on the other day, won’t be quite as conducive to batting. 280 or so might be a decent score.

10.12am BST

Tharanga, Dickwella, Medis, Chandimal, Kusal Perera, Kapugedera, Gunaratne, Malinga, Prasanna, Lakmal, Pradeep, Malinga

10.04am BST

Upul Tharanga was the man who tossed the coin for Sri Lanka, so that’ll tell you that Angelo Mathews hasn’t made it, his twanged calf proving too twangy to play.

10.03am BST

Interesting call. Bit of cloud cover over south London which is forecast to clear later, perhaps that’s the reason.

9.33am BST

Theoretically, this shouldn’t be an especially close contest. Sri Lanka are in what we’ll call a ‘transitional’ phase, their only real, proper, established class batsman being Angelo Mathews, who might not even play today due to a calf twang. Lasith Malinga is back, more of him than ever, but beyond those two and the frequently maddening Upul Tharanga and one-time ODI top dog bowlers Nuwan Kulasekara, there isn’t a massive amount in their team one would hang one’s hat on. Suranga Lakmal is actually their highest-ranked bowler and Kusal Mendis seems promising, but the way they collapsed like a flan in a cupboard in English conditions last year, doesn’t fill one with confidence.

Not so in the South Africa team, mind. Their top four of Quinton de Kock, Hashim Amla, Faf du Plessis and AB de Villiers is enough to make any red-blooded cricket fan rub their knees like Vic Reeves when an alluring lady was on Shooting Stars (which looking back was massively creepy, at best), while Kagiso Rabada is most definitely The Real Thing. And then there’s Imran Tahir, who an hour before the start of play is already wildly celebrating his first wicket.

6.11pm BST

Nick will be here soon.

View more on Rob Smyth's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on June 03, 2017 10:23

June 2, 2017

New Zealand v Australia: ICC Champions Trophy 2017 – as it happened

Kane Williamson’s century and some incisive new-ball bowling put New Zealand in control before rain forced the match to be abandoned

Read Ali Martin’s match report

8.07pm BST

6.32pm BST

Just one more thing...

Light recovery session after yesterday.

For 15% off @MyProteinUK use code BUTTLER >> https://t.co/11VnBdRByr pic.twitter.com/Wk0Fif76yh

6.30pm BST

New Zealand get a point for their moral victory. Australia get a point for their moral defeat. It’s a frustrating end to what might have been a cracking game. It’s good news for England though, because it means one more win will guarantee their semi-final place. Thanks for your company, goodnight!

6.28pm BST

Ach.

6.27pm BST

You can get selected highlights here, though I realise that isn’t the same thing as the old Tony Lewis experience.

6.26pm BST

“The iPlayer is fine,” says Gary Naylor, “but it’s not available there until 12.25am as far as I am aware. Highlights of England’s match on Tuesday is scheduled for an earlier slot though - 11.40pm, on a school night. Bra-bloody-vo!”

You lost me at technology.

6.17pm BST

Lashing down at Edgbaston

The upshot of an abandonment, I think, is that England will go through to the semi-finals if they win either of their remaining group games.

6.15pm BST

“Of course you can always catch up with the highlights on the mighty iPlayer as I have just done,” says Richard Readshaw. “It looks like a cut-and-paste job of the Sky coverage. I was struck by the amount of portentous guff and how much time I spent trying to identify which Great Cricketer From The Past was commentating. I ended up rather missing Mark Nicholas and the Channel 5 gang.”

The ICC are doing blanket coverage for the tournament, with mixed results. Actually you make a good point about the iPlayer; there are so many different ways that people choose to

consume audio-visual products
watch stuff these days, which old farts like me tend to forget. Putting highlights on at that hour isn’t quite the crime it was in the 1990s.

6.06pm BST

The cut-off point is 6.48pm local time. If there’s no play by then,

I’ll be in the pub by 6.49pm
the match will be abandoned with no result, and each side will get a point.

6.03pm BST

“The BBC Scheduling Department,” says Marie Meyer, “are smiling with smug satisfaction right now.”

5.59pm BST

“Areas, positives, brands and units,” says Rhidian Williams, who is either talking about cricket or IKEA. “If we could dispense with that lot, the world would be a better place.”

5.56pm BST

9th over: Australia 53-3 (Smith 8) That was the last ball of the over, and as Henriques walked off the umpires called for the covers. We need at least 20 overs in this innings to get a result.

5.55pm BST

Henriques plays another terrific pull for four off Milne. That takes him to 14, a career-best ODI score. It’s only his ninth game, before you laugh too loud, and I think it’s the first time he’s batted up the order. All of them matters not, because he’s gone now! The ball after edging for four, he got a big inside-edge onto the pad that looped gently back to the gleeful Milne.

5.52pm BST

8th over: Australia 45-2 (Smith 8, Henriques 10) Henriques has started like a man with an ODI average of 6.57. He looks pretty nervous, and is fortunate when a loose hook loops over the keeper’s head for four. The next ball, from the superb Boult, beats the outside edge. New Zealand have been quite brilliant so far. They realised straight away it wasn’t swinging, adjusted their length and field accordingly, and have induced many false strokes. That wasn’t a false stroke, mind: Henriques gets his second boundary with a very classy check-pull through midwicket. If New Zealand win - and they are favourites now - it will blow the group open and increase the chance of a team winning two games and still going out. England’s failure to trounce Bangladesh may yet haunt them.

“Tickled is definitely in there,” says J Sims. “If I tickle my kids or the missus, that’s one thing (and might lead to another). If I take a bat to them, we’re all in trouble. Also - Daddy hundreds. Gooch should never be the source of any OED entry.”

5.47pm BST

7th over: Australia 36-2 (Smith 8, Henriques 1) The new batsman is Moises Henriques. His ODI batting average - and you’ll like this - is 6.57. Yes, he’s better than that.

“I’m sure everyone will be delighted to have cricket back on BBC Television,” says Gary Naylor. “Highlights of this match are on at 12.25am on BBC2. So everyone except BBC executives.”

5.44pm BST

The lively Adam Milne comes on for Tim Southee, and he strikes third ball! Finch, who was struggling to edge the ball never mind middle it, chips tamely to midwicket. Things are getting interesting.

5.41pm BST

6th over: Australia 35-1 (Finch 8, Smith 8) The new batsman is the remarkable Steve Smith, who is 28 today. He is beaten first ball, flashing outside off stump, but then plays two magnificent cover drives for four.

5.37pm BST

New Zealand have got the big one. Warner, on the charge, tries to flat-bat Boult through the offside and instead top-edges through to Ronchi. That is such an important wicket.

5.35pm BST

5th over: Australia 27-0 (Warner 18, Finch 8) Finch launches into fresh air with so gusto that he seems to have strained something. That brings to mind Andrew Symonds being sledged so relentlessly by Paul Nixon that he tried to hit the ball out of the ground, ruptured a bicep and almost missed the World Cup. Meanwhile, this is a staggering shot from Warner, an uppercut for six off Southee that was played with both feet off the ground. Madon, that was outrageous.

5.31pm BST

4th over: Australia 19-0 (Warner 11, Finch 7) With no swing on offer, New Zealand have pulled their length back. Finch is beaten again, trying to flay a shorter one from Boult. He lifts a fuller delivery down the ground for a couple, then inside-edges a single. It’s been a rustic innings from Finch thus far, and an impressive start from New Zealand.

5.27pm BST

3rd over: Australia 14-0 (Warner 10, Finch 3) Finch misses an almighty heave across the line at Southee. The Australia batsmen are a little frenetic at the moment. I suppose you would be if you need more than seven an over from the start. They now need 221 from 30 overs.

“What do you think of the argument that, in rain-affected matches, the batting side should have the number of wickets reduced as well as the number of runs and overs to get them?” says William Stenhouse. “Seems reasonable to me.”

5.23pm BST

2nd over: Australia 11-0 (Warner 9, Finch 2) It’ll be Trent Boult from the other end. Of course it will. These first few overs are so important, such is the power of Australia’s top order. Early wickets would be priceless. There’s no swing at all, and Warner is able to tickle one off the pads for the first boundary.

Immediately after writing that sentence, I opened my inbox to find this from Aiden Macfarlane. “Please put tickled in the room Rob......it sounds weird and something people do in darkened rooms. EG: He tickled that ball nicely.... I rest my case.”

5.17pm BST

1st over: Australia 5-0 (Warner 4, Finch 1) David Warner has been the best ODI batsman in the world since the last World Cup. Nobody has scored more runs or more hundreds - Warner has reached three figures nine times - and nobody who has played more than a few innings has a higher average. He gets off the mark second ball, flicking Tim Southee for three, and then misses an attempted hook. There was no swing in that first over, which will concern New Zealand.

5.12pm BST

We haven’t seen much spin in this tournament so far, so it’ll be interesting to see how the canny Mitchell Santner gets on. He’s a key man for New Zealand.

5.09pm BST

It’s nearly time for some cricket. To recap, Australia need 235 from 33 overs. I still fancy them but that’s a stiff chase.

5.07pm BST

(UK Readers Only) THAT BLOODY TRIVAGO ADVERT AGAIN, BOUNCING AROUND MY SUBCONSCIOUS LIKE A WRECKING BALL.

4.59pm BST

Australia need 235 from 33 overs. The cut-off is 7.34pm.

4.58pm BST

“Not to pick on the IPL,” says Henry Lane, “but can I add the explosion sound effects added to slo-mo replays of slogs?”

They should jazz it up a bit and have a load of different noises, like on QI. After all, we’re in the entertainment business!

4.55pm BST

“I’m rapidly turning into an old fart,” announces Martin Sinclair with justified pride, “so there are a few newfangled terms that get my goat. It isn’t a “batter”, it’s a “batsman” and he certainly didn’t “smoke” it to the boundary. Ian Botham hit many a good shot and also (allegedly) smoked many things, but he never got the two confused. Anyway, enough of that. Come on the Kiwis! There is the odd Aussie player that I quite like but when you put them together into a team then I just want them to lose in a spirit-crushing, pain-filled way, particularly when they’re playing New Zealand as that provides an extra little kick in their collective nuts.”

Nuts? What were you saying about newfangled terms…

4.50pm BST

Play will restart at Edgbaston at 5.15 if there's no more rain. Australia's revised target TBC.

4.49pm BST

No news... is bad news. Sky are on a break, I’m not at Edgbaston so I have no idea whether it’s still raining. I suspect it’ll be at least half an hour before we see some cricket.

4.48pm BST

Room 101: the cricket edition

“Anyone who describes a six as ‘a maximum’,” says my colleague Tom Davies. I don’t particularly mind that but I can see why it’s annoying. It’s going in.

4.35pm BST

Something to talk about as I’m starting to get a bit bored and cranky

What would you put in a cricket-themed Room 101? I’ll start: the word ‘whippage’, pronounced to rhyme with montage. Whippage? More like whipparggggggggggggggh!

4.31pm BST

“Surely Tony Blair had a D I Gower poster on his wall?” says Ian Sergeant. “Essentially a lefty, but never more fallible than when wafting to the right/legside (often overseas at times of crises).”

Wouldn’t he have been too busy watching Jackie Milburn. Also, has anyone watched this? (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Killing$_of_Tony_Blair) Does it deserve 90 minutes of my invaluable time?

4.31pm BST

Sky have gone to a Virat Kohli masterclass, which suggests play is not imminent.

4.27pm BST

The rain is getting a little heavier and it won’t be long before we start to lose more overs. Meanwhile...

“Did Geoff tell Theresa May in a lift that her shoes got him into batting?” says Craig Murray. “Are you really naïve enough to believe May’s story? Talking of lifts. Merv Hughes once knocked me flat in a lift in Jamaica – the Pegasus Hotel, Kingston I recall. Didn’t even notice he had done it. A proud moment.”

4.15pm BST

Just imagine how different the country would be if she’d had a poster of David Ivon Gower instead. Free Bollinger for schoolkids, a two-day working week.

God I love David Gower. He should be a much greater national treasure.

4.13pm BST

The covers are on, though the rain doesn’t seem particularly bothersome. While we wait, let’s talk about Theresa May. No, really. I am extremely late to this, but I discovered today that as a young girl, she had a poster on her bedroom wall of Geoffrey Boycott. The hell? “I have been a Geoff Boycott fan all my life,” she said. “It was just that he kind of solidly got on with what he was doing.” Geoffrey Boycott: strong and stable.

4.09pm BST

Hello folks. That was some comeback from Australia, and you’d fancy their formidable batting line-up to do the necessary. But if any side can squeeze the Aussies to a 37-run defeat, it’s New Zealand ... and it’s raining. Ach!

3.58pm BST

So, the reply gets underway in 20 or so minutes - the great RA Smyth will be here to guide you through it.

3.57pm BST

What a comeback from Australia! They looked in allsorts for the first 30 or so overs, but clever captaincy, consistent bowling and competent catching - plus basic being of Australia - means that they’ll be confident of seeing this one away. The total is better than it looks at first glance, as it’s a 46-over, not 50-over job, but there’ll be no D/L adjustment to account for New Zealand not knowing they’d be playing a shortened format. It’ll take a phenomenal effort for them to win from here.

3.52pm BST

Three in four balls for Hazlewood, 6-52 all-in! He wraps up the innings with a full one which nibbles away, far too good for Boult, and there we go!

3.50pm BST

44th over: New Zealand 286-9 (Milne 5, Boult 0) And what a good effort this is, just past the outside edge.

3.49pm BST

Five for Hazlewood! Santner makes a pretty decent connection with his drive, but Smith leaps and stretches to take a fine catch. Here comes the hat-trick ball...

3.48pm BST

Four catches for Maxwell! Milne absolutely nails a pull, only to pick out the man on the fence. Drat.

3.46pm BST

45th over: New Zealand 291-7 (Santner 8, Milne 11) Santner gets a single, so Milen surveys the field, predicts a short one, and rocks back to despatch a pull; very well played.

3.44pm BST

44th over: New Zealand 286-7 (Santner 0, Milne 5) Starc strays to leg with his first ball and Santner quickly clips him off his hip for four. But somehow he spends the rest of the over getting away with a succession of full-tosses and singles, before a wide then another single.

“Sanga has a better ODI average in England than Tresco, Ponting, Eoin Morgan, Gower, Strauss, Dravid...” tweets Gareth Wilson.

3.39pm BST

43rd over: New Zealand 276-6 (Santner 0, Milne 4) Lovely shot from Milne first up, lancing a drive through cover for four; a single and a leg-bye follow. New Zealnd will be desperate for another 30.

3.37pm BST

Neesham waits for a full, wide one, then swats straight to mid-on. Phut, sputter, chug etcetera.

3.34pm BST

42nd over: New Zealand 268-6 (Neesham 4, Santner 0) Australia are absolutely in charge here; they always find a way.

3.33pm BST

Anderson’s expecting a fuller one, so goes after it when it arrives, only he gets right underneath it once he’s already all swung out. Henriques, at backward point, makes hard work of a steepler, hanging on just before it hits the ground.

3.31pm BST

41st over: New Zealand 267-6 (Neesham 2, Anderson 8) Good start from Cummins, just a single to Neesham from the first half of the over, but then Anderson ducks into a short one, hooks, top-edges, and the pace takes it over the fence!

3.28pm BST

40th over: New Zealand 260-5 (Neesham 2, Anderson 2) Looking again at that wicket, Broom had no need to haul that around to the long midwicket fence - he could just have gone down the ground. This is a really good over this, is this, this is, and Neesham only manages a single before Anderson gets off the mark with two through backward point.

3.25pm BST

I guess it’s the wrong time again, eh. Broom swings at a cross-seamer and gets plenty of it, but can only pick out Maxwell, stuck-on at midwicket. Now can we have some Anderson?

3.24pm BST

40th over: New Zealand 257-4 (Broom 14, Neesham 1) Corey Anderson is still hutched - I don’t get it, I must say - and Cummins pins Neesham with a short one first up; he gloves a single. One more follows, and that’s an excellent over for Australia; New Zeland need eight an over to get 305 and 10 an over to get 317. “They’ve lost wickets at the wrong time,” says Punter, sagely.

3.19pm BST

Williamson knocks down the ground and sets off, Henriques seizes on the ball and finds Cummins, who underarms into the stumps.

3.18pm BST

39th over: New Zealand 254-3 (Williamson 100, Broom 12) Broom saunters into the soiree, shovelling a cross-seamer from outside off to the midwicket fence. Next ball, he tries a scoop over the top, gets one, and then Williamson shows him how to do it, lobbing the keeper for four more. AND THERE’S HIS HUNNERT, HIS FIRST IN ODIs AGAINST AUSTRALIA! This has been such a controlled innings - I’m not sure I can remember a single false shot, nor a point at which he looked likely to get out. He’s basically Sangakkara, but good in England; Kallis, but with big shots; Root but from New Zealand.

3.11pm BST

38th over: New Zealand 242-3 (Williamson 95, Broom 5) Umpire Ill’worth signals the final powerplay of the innings, and Starc begins it superbly, slinging down a short one and then a yorker, both too good for Broom. This is such a good over from Starc, but I bet he’s pleased it’s Broom and not Anderson at the crease. Anyway, just three more added to the total.

3.07pm BST

37th over: New Zealand 239-3 (Williamson 94, Broom 3) Two to Williamson off Hastings’ first ball, then a single, followed by a single to Broom - he really needs to start swinging now. Next ball, Williamson backs away to leg, so Hastings follows him, dragging down in the process. Somehow, Williamson cracks him to square-leg for four, then then bludgeons over midwicket for a maximum! Had head been stuck on, he might’ve caught it, but he wasn’t and he didn’t.

3.03pm BST

36th over: New Zealand 225-3 (Williamson 81, Broom 2) Williamson glides Starc to wide third man and they power through for three, but only four singles follow. New Zealand now need to go some to get what me myself and I reckon is a par total.

2.59pm BST

35th over: New Zealand 218-3 (Williamson 76, Broom 0) Baz reckons Anderson should’ve come in, and I’m inclined to agree; 11 overs to go, how few would encourage you to send in your biggest hitter? Smith has captained really well post-rain, showing faith in his part-timers, and they’ve paid him back; that’s one off Henriques’ latest over.

2.54pm BST

34th over: New Zealand 217-3 (Williamson 74, Broom 0) That third-wicket partnership was worth 99. Ironic, when you think about it.

2.53pm BST

Hastings takes the pace off and Taylor looks to swing him to leg, instead squirting an edge to cover. Vindication for Smith, who has kept men in the circle to try and take wickets.

2.51pm BST

34th over: New Zealand 216-2 (Williamson 74, Taylor 46) Absolute filth from Hastings, short, wide and to Williamson; he carts over point for four. And Hastings can’t pull it around next ball, dropping shot to have himself pasted flat over midwicket; Williamson’s eye technique are just so good, so he can rely on them to do whatever he likes.

2.48pm BST

33rd over: New Zealand 205-2 (Williamson 63, Taylor 46) Australia need something, so Smith brings Starc back, and after two deliveries he decides to go around. The angle means that Williamson’s run-down is off the agenda; the mid-on and mid-off up means he might go over the top. But he tires to turn to fine leg instead, having to make do with a leg bye, and Taylor then rescues a quiet over with four turned off his toes to midwicket.

2.43pm BST

32nd over: New Zealand 199-2 (Williamson 63, Taylor 41) Hastings returns - he’s had an excellent day, an economy rate of 5.15 at the time of writing. His first five balls yield just three runs, but then Williamson moves outside off to loft a drive over mid-off and to the fence. He is staggeringly competent, the Joe Calzaghe of the wicket.

2.40pm BST

31st over: New Zealand 192-2 (Williamson 58, Taylor 40) Happily, everything I wrote for this over deleted itself, but we’re on the way home; New Zealand have gone. Williamson starts by dragging two towards the square-leg fence, then wallops over cow corner for four, and Taylor times a boundary of his own beautifully, lifting away over square-leg, mid-pirouette.

2.34pm BST

30th over: New Zealand 180-2 (Williamson 51, Taylor 34) What shade of yellow are Australia in here? Canary? Dirty? It’s not at all dapper, that’s for sure, a bit like when you highlight something you’ve written in fine-liner, thus ruining the former. Two off the over.

2.29pm BST

29th over: New Zealand 178-2 (Williamson 50, Taylor 33) Henriques has changed ends, and sends down a rank long-hop to celebrate; Williamson pulls for one, and that’s his fifty. He’s looked under no threat at all, but hasn’t been able to dominate either. And this over is no different, only one more from it.

2.26pm BST

Just FYI, it’s raining. We’re still playing, but there are clouds off to the west.

2.23pm BST

28th over: New Zealand 176-2 (Williamson 49, Taylor 32) Cummins returns - will the batsmen, both set, get after him? After Taylor adds a single, Williamson runs down to third man and Smith hangs his head - his wrists are just so spectacular, there’s nothing can be done to stop him. Taylor then slashes at one, only for Maxwell to field sharply at point. Two off the over, and New Zealand need to start finding the fence again.

2.19pm BST

27th over: New Zealand 174-2 (Williamson 48, Taylor 31) Ponting reckons Williamson is frustrated, and the 18 he’s contributed to the 50 partnership just raised suggests that too. Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha at us! Head tries a fuller one, only to find yerman on one knee and ready to stroke six over midwicket. Taste of frustration, right there.

2.16pm BST

26th over: New Zealand 166-2 (Williamson 41, Taylor 30) They’re talking totals in commentary. Eight an over gets them 323, which would be ok but not intimidating. Anyway, they’re moving on up now, Taylor somehow carting four to square-leg while in mid-air.

2.12pm BST

25th over: New Zealand 158-2 (Williamson 40, Taylor 24) Williamson frees his arms, getting well forwar and going down on one knee to flip a pre-meditated slog-sweep over the infield for four. Three more from the over make it the most profitable in sometime.

2.09pm BST

24th over: New Zealand 151-2 (Williamson 35, Taylor 22) Smith doubles-down while the going’s good and brings on Henriques; he opens with three dots and closes with three singles. At some point New Zealand are going to get after it again, because they’ve wickets in hand and batting to come.

2.07pm BST

23rd over: New Zealand 148-2 (Williamson 34, Taylor 20) Head carries on - surely he’ll only be allowed one more twiddle before they get after him? I know both these guys want to be there close to the end, but they’ll want to make Australia bat well, not competently, to beat them.

“I realise just now that the only reason I became aware of the IPL is because of the issue over Stokes and Woakes being recalled from it,” emails Ian Copestake. “I have no idea how the tournament actually finished if indeed it is over. Did Stokes’ team go on to win it?”

2.02pm BST

22nd over: New Zealand 145-2 (Williamson 32, Taylor 19) Immediately, Taylor sets about upping the pace again, opening his stance, waiting for Hazlewood, allowing the ball past him, and sliding wrists through it - it flies past third man for four. But after he nabs a single next ball, Williamson plays out four dots, and Australia would’ve took that, as Ryan Giggs might’ve said.

1.59pm BST

21st over: New Zealand 138-2 (Williamson 30, Taylor 14) Head comes on to deliver some spin/wheel through a quick couple of overs without anyone noticing. Good captaincy from Smith that, though if even I’ve noticed the ruse maybe it isn’t. Another economical over, just four from it, and the overall run rate is now down to 6.70.

The end of the 20th over with NZ 2-134. Time for some spin with Head into the attack: https://t.co/Bx1qKpiWLX #CT17 #NZvAUS pic.twitter.com/SGEM3n2zLx

1.55pm BST

20th over: New Zealand 134-2 (Williamson 28, Taylor 12) Hazlewood is back, and Shaun Pollock discusses his last tour to England, specifically his need to find a fuller length. The scoring has slowed right down since Ronchi went, so this is a chance for him to do some damage. One off the over.

1.51pm BST

19th over: New Zealand 133-2 (Williamson 27, Taylor 12) Starc is giving Australia is a little bit of control, ceding two singles before Taylor smacks a wide one, only to pick out Maxwell at point. So he goes again next ball, chucking the bat as it’s still rising and picking up four over point; Starc responds with a leg-side wide.

1.46pm BST

18th over: New Zealand 126-2 (Williamson 26, Taylor 2) Not to begin with; he overpitches and Taylor is onto it immediately, cracking four through cover. The rest of the ver is spend ceding singles - Williamson is amazingly dextrous to that end, in such control of his head, hands and feet.

1.43pm BST

17th over: New Zealand 119-2 (Williamson 25, Taylor 1) Australia want another wicket so send Starc back on; this is now a key passage of play. Accordingly, after Williamson finagles a single, Taylor is circumspect, taking just one from the remaining five balls. Can Hastings back it up?

1.37pm BST

16th over: New Zealand 117-2 (Williamson 24, Taylor 0) Australia really needed that.

1.36pm BST

Ronchi goes again, swinging at a wide one, but it’s slower than he was expecting so the ball skids off the face and goes straight to point.

1.35pm BST

16th over: New Zealand 117-1 (Ronchi 65, Williamson 24) Williamson knows what to do, gliding a single to third man to get Ronchi back on strike. Ronchi responds, Williamson does likewise, and then...

1.33pm BST

15th over: New Zealand 114-1 (Ronchi 64, Williamson 22) New Zealand are in complete command here and Cummins is suffering; Ronchi steps back and smashes him through cover for four. But next ball he swats to mid-on, Starc leaps to catch - by the standard, it’s not a difficult catch - but he puts it down! And oh my days does Ronchi make him pay! First he carts four down the ground - not sure that’s a “proper cricket shot” and so much the better - then bludgeons six over the bowler’s head! Cummins has gone for 52 off five over.

1.28pm BST

14th over: New Zealand 99-1 (Ronchi 50, Williamson 22) New Zealand are loving life at the moment, Ronchi especially. He slashes at yet another, edges hard over slip, and up comes his fifty with the resultant four - off 33 balls. Ronchi, incidentally, was man of the match, in his fourth and last ODI for Australia - he 64 off 28 balls, and never played again.

1.23pm BST

13th over: New Zealand 94-1 (Ronchi 46, Williamson 21) Warne reckons Steven Smith should’ve picked a spinner, and he might just be thinking the same! Ronchi is going after Cummins, making room, and when he’s followed. trusting the bounce to fling hands, carving six over third man! And next ball he goes again, trying to pull and gloving four over the keeper’s head. That’s the fifty partnership.

1.21pm BST

12th over: New Zealand 81-1 (Ronchi 35, Williamson 19) A crafty single from Williamson returns strike to Ronchi, and he immediately drags four from outside off to long leg. Starc chases it valiantly, but to no avail; lovely stuff. Then, off the final delivery, Ronchi slams hard into the off side, only for Henriques to dive and field; great work, because that was headed to the fence.

1.16pm BST

11th over: New Zealand 74-1 (Ronchi 30, Williamson 17) Ronchi hasn’t taken long to get going again, punching Cummins over his heed and back down the ground for four. He’s batting with excellent control here, while clouting all that needs clouting.

“Perhaps there is a fancy name for umbrellaphobia that is not as disappointing as umbrellaphobia, but it strikes me that while they are part of the discourse of cricket, as your photo demonstrates, any incursion of umbrellas into a sport that does not have a problem with rain renders them utterly Steve McClaren.”

1.11pm BST

10th over: New Zealand 68-1 (Ronchi 25, Williamson 16) The break might’ve suited Australia - they weren’t at their best early on, and will know from the start that they’ll only have 46 over to bat. And Hastings opens with a jaffa, moving it away from Ronchi who plays and misses.

1.08pm BST

The players are middled...

1.07pm BST

One bowler can bowl ten overs, four others can bowl nine.

1.06pm BST

The Aussies are stretching on the boundary. We’re close.

12.56pm BST

...provided there’s no more rain. Lunch is now half an hour.

12.45pm BST

Amen selah!

12.45pm BST

It’s looking like an early lunch at 1, which according to my forecast is roundabout when the rain will stop. Then we should be good for a thunderstorm roundabout 2.

12.40pm BST

It’s raining again, and overs will start coming off now

12.20pm BST

Meanwhile, elsewhere...

Ah, cricket #roses #YourYorkshire @YorkshireCCC @LancsCCC #countychampionship pic.twitter.com/kpmUjLBSRM

12.20pm BST

“Hopefully we’ll have some cricket for you in the next couple of hours” - crikey, that sounds ominous. Charles Colvile reckons it unnecessarily pessimistic, you’ll be relieved to learn.

12.18pm BST

The rain isn’t as heavy as was, but we’re still probably half an hour away though - at best.

12.14pm BST

Still raining, update to follow presently.

12.10pm BST

That is definitely cooler than holding it over yourself, granted.

12.09pm BST

@DanielHarris I like umbrellas. Maybe you're not doing it right. https://t.co/OW4tKFov1z

12.05pm BST

I wonder what’s going on in the dressing rooms. I reckon Australia are playing Cluedo; Warner is Colonel Mustard, and Warne has come in to play Mrs White.

11.58am BST

Still bally raining.

11.51am BST

Nothing to do with cricket dept: there seems to be a lot of OK Computer patter about at the moment. So, is it even Radiohead’s best album? Have you any anecdotes in its regard?

11.41am BST

Cricinfo tell us that the umpires are out with umbrellas, so a question: are umbrellas ever acceptable? Clue: no they are not.

I mean seriously, who wants to go about with an arm out? It’s just a bit of water.

11.37am BST

I don’t suppose whoever comes in for Woakes is likely to play - they’ll start with Willey and see what happens, I expect.

11.36am BST

England can of course pull TRJ out of game if they want but given they knew about Woakes last night, can deduce they're looking elsewhere https://t.co/SaKDnHtaSP

11.30am BST

Still raining, I’m afraid, and we’re now watching highlights from yesterday - not the finest of signs.

11.20am BST

But hopefully not for long.

11.18am BST

10th over: New Zealand 67-1 (Ronchi 24, Williamson 16) Hastings into the attack, Williamson takes a single, and it’s raining. Not in huge quantities, but there’s enough of it to force the players off.

11.17am BST

9th over: New Zealand 66-1 (Ronchi 24, Williamson 15) Cummins sees Ronchi making room so follows him, but it doesn’t matter! Ronchi is so well-placed that he’s right under the ball, zetzing six over cover - and what a take in the crowd, held in the fingertips. Meanwhile Baz informs us that Williamson “is one of very few players in the top 3 in all formats”; yes, I’d agree. And oh dear, what’s this! Williamson tips and runs, Ronchi, stranded mid-pitch, gives up, but Starc’s underarm through is “pretty average” and Wade, diving to field, breaks the stumps with his shoulder. Miserable behaviour all-round, but in particular, this is exceedingly unAustralian so far.

11.12am BST

8th over: New Zealand 58-1 (Ronchi 17, Williamson 14) Warne reckons Australia are too concerned about bowling bad balls; McCullum reckons they “lack a bit of presence”. Still, this is a fair over from Hazlewood, just two from it, until the last ball is short and leg-side; Williamson is onto it with a terrifying alacrity, punishing four to square-leg.

11.06am BST

7th over: New Zealand 52-1 (Ronchi 17, Williamson 8) Cummins into the attack and hurls down a full seam-upper to being with. The problem they’re finding is that the ball just isn’t swinging - it’s frigid, or prudish, something - so Williamson opens the face to shmice through backward point for four. Two to leg follow, then a single, before Ronchi twists another boundary over the man at midwicket.

11.01am BST

6th over: New Zealand 41-1 (Ronchi 13, Williamson 1) Hazlewood has a third slip for Williamson, who likes the run-down to third man; instead, he gets off the mark with a flip to leg.

11.00am BST

Another cross-seamer which sticks in the track a little, Guptill goes to turn to leg, gets there too early, and a leading edge loops up directly to point. Huge wicket for Australia, who always find a way.

10.58am BST

6th over: New Zealand 40-0 (Guptill 26, Ronchi 13) In commentary, it’s wondered whether Smith wanted to bat second because there’s a decent chance of rain; perhaps, I guess.

Happy Birthday to @OfficialSLC captain @Angelo69Mathews!

A look back to his brilliant Test ton here in 2015. pic.twitter.com/LlwJ8b3Yaz

10.55am BST

5th over: New Zealand 38-0 (Guptill 25, Ronchi 12) Full one from Starc, bounces a bit - a decent delivery, basically - and Guptill leans down the track and just outside off to absolutely clatter through the line and to the cover fence. That was beautiful, head still and hands supersonic. Oh, and look! Starc attacks the stumps but overpitches with crossed seam, and with no movement through the air, Guptill cracks it straight back him. Australia were intending early wickets - they’ve not even threatened them.

10.52am BST

4th over: New Zealand 29-0 (Guptill 16, Ronchi 12) Hazlewood tries from wide of the crease, and Guptill stamps onto the front foot to stroke down the ground. On the boundary, Warner flings himself at it for kicks, misses, and enjoys a jolly good chortle with his buddies. Hazlewood then retorts, a bit of bounce tempting an air-shot, before a bit more bounce has Ronchi trimming the fingernails of mid-off. This is a really good start now, and Williamson looks to have read the pitch better than Smith.

10.47am BST

3rd over: New Zealand 19-0 (Guptill 11, Ronchi 7) Starc finds some shape away from Ronchi second ball and slants his next across him too. So Ronchi chucks hands at it, the timing is off, he doesn’t get all of it, and still powersquirts four over point. Then Ronchi pushes to mid-off, runs, and with a view of one-and-a-half stumps, Warner smashes them down! Richie Kettleborough is right on top of it though, and he confidently says not out; he’s right, by about an inch. Well-judged, Luke-o.

10.41am BST

2nd over: New Zealand 14-0 (Guptill 11, Ronchi 2) Hazlewood, who’s going to be a special Test bowler, I shouldn’t wonder, opens from the other end. I was surprised he didn’t do better last time he was England, so expect him to do well here. Anyway, his first ball offers Ronchi width, so he swings and bottom-edges a single behind square on the off side, then slings down a wide. Ah. And then one on the pads, flipped over the top fo fo by Guptill, and then one wide of off, flayed through point fo fo mo.

10.36am BST

1st over: New Zealand 4-0 (Guptill 3, Ronchi 1) Starc is over the wicket and on the money right away - Guptill is forward to defend. But the third ball strays down leg, and is slightly mistimed away for three towards midwicket - the boundary is fairly long in that direction. Anyway, Ronchi adds a single, and that’s that.

Just before play started, the tellybox showed an advert for Alexa. What kind of absolute nonsense is that? Just put some music on yourself, dearie me; looking down what you’ve got is part of the pleasure of having it, like looking in the mirror without the shame.

10.32am BST

Guptill on strike, Starc with that ball.

10.31am BST

Picky Ronting heard a whisper that Latham is injured, so isn’t surprised to see Ronchi opening the batting.

10.30am BST

Out come the

batsmen
batters.

10.29am BST

Huddling is done. For why, is unclear.

10.28am BST

Different cat pic.twitter.com/af4QBNbUrI

10.26am BST

The teams are coming out, the teams are out, which makes it time for the pomp and circumstance without which cricket somehow coped for more than 200 years.

10.21am BST

Does stuff like this matter? Are Australia in the heads of the New Zealand players, or is it just stuff that happened once?

Australia lead the H2H with New Zealand 90-39. In matches played at neutral venues Australia lead 17-1 & have not lost since 1999. #CT17

10.19am BST

BREAKING: Kane Williamson is good, and T20 has changed 50-over cricket.

More news as I get it.

10.13am BST

Here’s more on poor Woakesie.

10.10am BST

There’s a nice even covering of grass, says Warnie, and the pitch will be good for batting but with carry for quicks. “May the best team wins, he adds; isn’t that axiomatic?

10.09am BST

Just in case you’d forgotten, this is the ICC Champions Trophy. That’s ICC, them with their logo encroaching well into the middle of the screen, whose broadcast staff all have ... nicknames!

10.07am BST

So neither side picks a spinner - Patel and Zampa are both left out.

10.07am BST

New Zealand: Guptill, Ronchi, Williamson, Taylor, Broom, Neesham, Anderson, Santner, Milne, Southee, Boult.

Australia: Finch, Warner, Smith, Henriques, Maxwell, Head, Wade, Hastings, Starc, Cummins, Hazlewood.

10.05am BST

Smith was “probably going to bowl first anyway”. Yeah, course you were sweetheart. Of the fearsome foursome, Pattinson misses out.

10.04am BST

Pitch looks good for batting, they hope to winkle some wickets bowling second.

10.03am BST

Let’s have some toss, and happy birthday Steven Smith.

10.02am BST

ICC broadcasting. Ho hum.

10.00am BST

Brexit behaviour, bringing England into this - apologies - but it seems that Chris Woakes is out of the competition. That’s not terrible news for everyone but England - these early “summer” conditions are perfect for him.

9.37am BST

Ok, we can have some more. All through the working day, and purely for our delectation, we have two of the toughest, most reliable teams in all sport, playing in one of the most intense, well-structured tournaments in all sport. Allow that!

The last time the teams met, in January and February, New Zealand won two out of three matches - the third was abandoned - and given that both sides have to play England, defeat here could effectively end their Champions League before it’s even started. Given that both sides have to play England! The world is a weird place right enough, but who ever presumed it could become that weird?

8.42am BST

Er, Australia are playing New Zealand!

View more on Rob Smyth's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on June 02, 2017 10:30

Australia v New Zealand: ICC Champions Trophy 2017 – live!

Live updates from the second match of the tournamentEmail Daniel here or Tweet him here with your thoughtsGeoff Lemon: Australia look to banish demons of 2013

8.42am BST

Er, Australia are playing New Zealand!

View more on Rob Smyth's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on June 02, 2017 01:30

May 28, 2017

Blackpool 2-1 Exeter City: League Two play-off final – as it happened

The tireless Brad Potts and the classy Mark Cullen each made one and scored one to earn promotion for Blackpool in an excellent final

5.06pm BST

The Blackpool captain Tom Aldred, who went off injured, is being interviewed on Sky

“I’ve been through every emotion possible. I knew early in the match that I wasn’t gonna be able to finish it. This man here [Neil Danns] took the armband off and done fockin brilliant, sorry about my language.”

5.03pm BST

Congratulations to Blackpool and their enormously impressive manager Gary Bowyer. They have overcome Luton, Exeter and their own civil war to achieve promotion. It’s sad for Exeter, an extremely likeable team who were superior in the first half. Blackpool were terrific after the break, however, and ultimately deserved to win an excellent game.

Brad Potts, who abused his lungs all day with some storming old-fashioned runs from midfield, and the classy Mark Cullen made one and scored one each. It’s a qualified triumph, because of everything that is going on off the field, but the players deserve oodles of credit. They were 15th at the start of March, and now they are in League One.

5.00pm BST

Blackpool are promoted to League One!

4.58pm BST

90+4 min Wheeler wins another header and loops into the area for Watkins, who can’t control a diving header from eight yards that flies over the bar. It was a bit of a chance but the pressure of two Blackpool defenders meant he had no room to get round the ball and direct it at goal.

4.57pm BST

90+3 min Flores is booked for pulling back Stacey.

4.56pm BST

90+2 min After a nervous few minutes, Blackpool look comfortable defensively. Exeter are running out of hope.

4.54pm BST

90 min Blackpool almost clinch it on the break. Vassell lashes a stinging low shot that is excellently saved by Pym, plunging to his right.

4.53pm BST

90 min There will be five added minutes.

4.53pm BST

89 min The impressive Oseyi-Samiel twists Stacey’s blood before driving a low left-footed shot that swerves well wide of the far post.

4.53pm BST

88 min This is much better from Exeter, who are moving the ball around better than at any stage in the second half. Both these teams know about the potential for late drama.

4.51pm BST

87 min Holmes mistakes himself for Rivelino, shooting wildly over the bar from 25 yards.

4.50pm BST

86 min This is a good little spell of pressure from Exeter, who win another corner. Holmes’ inswinger flashes across the box, and when it’s lobbed back in Slocombe claims confidently.

4.49pm BST

84 min “Not goalless at Hamilton any more,” says Simon McMahon. “Bollocks.”

4.48pm BST

83 min Aimson stretches to divert Watkins’ cross behind for an Exeter corner. It’s headed away superbly by Mellor, who is fouled by Moore-Taylor in the process.

4.47pm BST

82 min Guardian MBMers are a bunch of lazy sods. This is not a groundbreaking observation, I realise. We hate it when games go to extra-time, because it means we have to do more work. But I really hope this does go to extra-time, as it’s been infectiously entertaining throughout. I don’t think it will, mind you; Exeter look lost and weary.

4.45pm BST

80 min Oseyi-Samuel beats Stacey with ease only to splash hit shot high and wide from the edge of the box. He looks an extremely exciting talent.

4.43pm BST

78 min Hodges launches another big diagonal that is won in the air emphatically by Wheeler. He heads it down to Reid, who flips the ball up on the edge of the box and drags a bobbling shot just wide of the far post.

4.39pm BST

75 min Blackpool make their final change: Mark Cullen is replaced by Jordan Flores. Cullen was excellent, making one and scoring one.

4.38pm BST

74 min Exeter can’t get their passing going at all, and Blackpool look a much greater threat on the counter-attack. Potts leads one such break, running 60 yards before overhitting his pass to Vassell. He has cramp as a result.

4.37pm BST

72 min Osayi-Samuel beats Taylor for speed and strength down the left. He slips the ball back to the edge of the area for Danns, who cuts across a well-struck shot that flies a few yards over the bar.

4.35pm BST

71 min Exeter make their final change, with Lee Holmes replacing Craig Woodman.

4.33pm BST

67 min Exeter responded admirably to going behind in the first half. Now they have to do it again. They’ve been a bit sluggish since half-time, for reasons that are not remotely clear.

4.31pm BST

66 min That was another tremendous, old-fashioned charge into the box from Potts. I’m not sure whether he was going for goal or trying to find Cullen, but the carpe diem surge was just brilliant.

4.31pm BST

Cullen made the first goal for Potts, and now the favour has been returned. Potts surged into the area on the right, onto Vassell’s clever header, and tried to slide the ball across goal. Pym’s right foot diverted it to Cullen, who stretched out his left foot and got just enough on the ball for it to dribble inside the far post.

4.28pm BST

Blackpool are back in front!

4.28pm BST

63 min Potts crosses low from the right to Vassell, who flicks it behind his standing leg towards goal. It hits the defender Sweeney and deflects kindly into the hands of Pym. I don’t think Vassell’s original effort was on target.

4.26pm BST

62 min Another change for Blackpool, with Ian Black replacing Jack Payne. That must be the injury he suffered in the first half, because he has played superbly. Payne’s face confirms as much.

4.24pm BST

61 min Mellor’s swashbuckling run brings another corner for Blackpool, who continue to dominate the second half. Mellor gets to the corner himself but can only head it gently into the hands of Pym.

4.23pm BST

60 min “Still goalless at Hamilton, Rob,” says Simon McMahon of the Scottish play-off. “You can cut the tension in my house with a tennis ball.”

4.22pm BST

59 min Cullen is booked for something or other, a foul on Wheeler I think.

4.22pm BST

58 min Troy Brown limps off, to be replaced by Pierce Sweeney.

4.22pm BST

57 min That was Joel Grant’s last touch, with Reuben Reid replacing him. Exeter may have to make another change in a second, because Brown injured himself making that block from Osayi-Samuel.

4.20pm BST

56 min Stacey angles a long pass to Grant, who flicks it first time back infield to Watkins. He is about to surge through on goal when Robertson makes a vital sliding challenge. This is a cracking match, both in terms of standard and entertainment.

4.19pm BST

54 min Osayi-Samuel dummies to shoot on the edge of the area and instead veers to the left of the defence. It’s a brilliant piece of skill that gives him a bit of space to shoot with his left foot, and a combination of Brown and Taylor make a desperate block.

4.17pm BST

53 min Daniel wins a corner on the left for Blackpool. It’s swung deep and headed away. Exeter can’t get out though.

4.16pm BST

51 min Danns’ wicked inswinging cross from the left is bravely punched away by Pym, diving in front of Cullen at the near post. Blackpool have been much the better team since half-time. It does make you wonder why teams sit on a one-goal lead so often.

4.14pm BST

50 min Good save from Pym! Payne angled a fine long pass over the top to Vassell, who made an excellent run behind the defence. His first touch wasn’t great but his second was a rasping half-volley from a tight angle that was beaten away by Pym.

4.13pm BST

48 min Osayi-Samuel turns Stacey superbly on the left, moves to the edge of the area and curls a shot well wide of the far post. Blackpool should get the ball to him as often as possible as he looks a threat, albeit an erratic one.

4.11pm BST

48 min Blackpool have started the second half very positively, as they did the first until they made the mistake of scoring after 130 seconds.

4.09pm BST

46 min Peep peep! Blackpool begin the second half, kicking from right to left.

4.02pm BST

Half-time reading

3.54pm BST

Peep peep! That was a fine half of football, with two excellent goals from Potts and Wheeler. Exeter have been the better team, extremely accomplished in possession, but Blackpool are very dangerous on the break. See you in 10 minutes for the second half.

3.53pm BST

45+6 min Harley skips jauntily onto Wheeler’s lay-off and into the box before spanking a shot high and wide of the near post.

3.52pm BST

45+5 mins Grant picks Mellor’s pocket and galumphs into the box from the left. Robertson comes across to make a vital clearance.

3.50pm BST

45+3 min Mellor cuts the ball back to Danns on the edge of the box. His shot will appear on an air traffic control map any second now.

3.47pm BST

45 min There will be six minutes of added time, a consequence of all those injuries.

3.46pm BST

43 min In a strange way, Blackpool might feel they scored too early. It allowed Exeter to dictate play and build up a rhythm that eventually manifested itself in Wheeler’s equaliser.

3.45pm BST

42 min That was such a good goal from Wheeler. He flew out of the traps to give Woodman the option to go long, then he controlled the ball deftly while running at full speed and flicked an insouciant lob over Slocombe with the outside of his right foot.

3.43pm BST

It was another excellent goal. Woodman, deep in his own half, drilled yet another long ball towards Wheeler, but this time Wheeler got the wrong side of Daniel and controlled it excellently on the run. Slocombe came out and was caught in no man’s land, allowing Wheeler to lift a superb lob into the net from just inside the area. That’s Wheeler’s 21st goal of a wonderful season, some return for a wide forward.

3.42pm BST

Exeter are level!

3.42pm BST

40 min Payne is back on, though his movement is laboured.

3.41pm BST

39 min Payne is limping off the pitch. I think he’ll try to come back on but it doesn’t look good. Blackpool have already lost Tom Aldred to injury.

3.41pm BST

38 min Payne is in some

pai-
distress after an innocuous challenge with Wheeler. It looks like he may have twisted his knee.

3.39pm BST

37 min Exeter have played 226 passes to Blackpool’s 91. Blackpool give not a solitary one about that.

3.38pm BST

36 min Taylor’s floaty cross is headed wide from 12 yards by Grant, who had no pace on the ball to work with and berated Taylor to that effect.

3.37pm BST

34 min Osayi-Samuel wins a corner via the medium of the stepover. It’s played short to the influential Potts, whose cross deflects behind for another corner.

3.35pm BST

33 min “I am weekly baffled by the number of fans of League Two clubs (including many of my chosen club, Portsmouth) who vehemently assert that the only way to play in this division is to play 4-4-2, with two wingers and at least one target man,” says Matt Loten. “The league is ‘too physical’ for small, skilful players, they argue, and the pitches too poor for possession football. I hope the excellent football played by some of this season’s promoted clubs, and on display thus far in today’s game, might win a few of the doubters over.”

Yes, I completely agree. Two of the most significant changes in modern football are improvement in pitches and the clampdown on physical contract. It’s almost a different sport as a consequence, and you can play a passing game at any level. That said, I wouldn’t advocate tiki-taka on Hackney Marshes. That might not go down too well with hungover, hairy-arsed opponents.

3.32pm BST

31 min Bright Osayi-Samuel replaces Aldred, which suggests Blackpool will switch to a back four.

3.32pm BST

30 min Grant floats a deep cross towards Wheeler, who wins it in the air but can only head it onto the defender Daniel. Actually Daniel did very well because he ensured Wheeler couldn’t get a clear header at goal.

3.30pm BST

28 min Tom Aldred is down again, and this doesn’t look good for Blackpool. The physio starts manipulating his right ankle, and Aldred knows straight away that it’s over: he puts his hands over his head and clambers to his feet. The poor bloke is almost in tears as he limps towards the touchline.

3.29pm BST

27 min Payne makes a crucial interception to deny Harley a shooting chance in the area. Blackpool are struggling to get out at the moment.

3.27pm BST

25 min Aldred makes a fine tackle on Watkins to end another long passing move from Exeter. Watkins is such a powerful runner, so cutting him off source like that makes a lot of sense.

3.24pm BST

23 min Watkins has a shot blocked by Mellor. Exeter keep possession and work it back to James, who whistles a shot well wide from 25 yards. Exeter are playing some very pretty football.

3.22pm BST

20 min The pattern of the match is established: lots of neat Exeter possession followed by decisive counter-attacking from Blackpool. It is making for a lovely match.

3.21pm BST

19 min Woodman drills another diagonal to Wheeler, who again wins it emphatically in the air and heads it down to Watkins in the area. This time he eschews the shot and tries to return the ball to Wheeler, and Blackpool clear. Watkins could probably have had another shot on the turn there.

3.20pm BST

18 min Another chance for Exeter. Grant teases Mellor on the left of the box and slides the ball back to Taylor, whose first-time shot from eight yards is blocked by Aldred.

3.17pm BST

16 min There’s a break in play while Aldred receives treatment. It’s been a brilliant start to the game, everything a neutral would want in a play-off final.

3.17pm BST

15 min Potts charges into space on the left of the box before crossing dangerously to the near post. Cullen is lurking but Exeter crowd him out. Potts’s runs from midfield are causing Exeter plenty of problems.

3.16pm BST

14 min Watkins marauds into the area from the left, running right through a posse of Blackpool defenders before Daniel comes across to hoof clear.

3.14pm BST

11 min Slocombe makes a terrific save from Watkins! Exeter passed the ball for ages until the left-back Woodman injected some urgency with a long diagonal. Wheeler won it in the air and headed it down to Watkins in the area. He turned sharply to hit a fierce left-footed shot that brought an outstanding reaction save from Slocombe.

3.09pm BST

9 min “Just looking at the teams’ line-ups,” says Kevin Ryan. “Blackpool have won this already by some way. Those last four substitutes: Flores, Osayi-Samuel, Delfouneso and Gnanduillet. Magnificent! What superb names! Fashion note: The Dude here is wearing a faded blue-green tee shirt by George, sun bleached blue Weird Fish cargo shorts and busted out New Balance trainers. Paul Tisdale eat your heart out!”

3.09pm BST

8 min Daniel’s cross is put behind for a Blackpool corner. Nothing comes of it. Let’s just move on.

3.08pm BST

6 min Exeter have played some nice football since going behind. Early goals often make memorable matches.

3.06pm BST

It’s a tremendous goal from Blackpool. Payne drilled a very long pass forward to Cullen, who killed it beautifully on the edge of the box and flipped it infield to Potts. He ran onto the ball and dragged a perfectly placed first-time shot into the far corner.

3.04pm BST

Blackpool lead after 130 seconds of the match!

3.04pm BST

2 min A fast start from Blackpool. Vassell makes enough room on the right to clip over a superb cross that is desperately headed away at the near post.

3.02pm BST

1 min Peep peep! Exeter, in yellow, kick off from right to left. Blackpool are in tangerine.

2.58pm BST

Blackpool fans at Wembley: 2010 vs 2017.

This is what the toxic running of a football club does to its fanbase. pic.twitter.com/yULP3yaOO3

2.58pm BST

There are rows and rows of empty seats in the Blackpool end, as expected, though there is still all kinds of noise as the players walk out of the tunnel. It’s nearly time for some association football action!

2.50pm BST

Fashion corner Paul Tisdale is dressed in crisp grey trousers and white shirt (two buttons undone). No sign of a hat. It’s a glorious day in HA9, the sort that makes us members of the bald community extremely grateful for the existence of sunscreen.

2.47pm BST

“Afternoon Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “It’s not Wembley, but Dundee United are playing Hamilton in the Scottish Premiership play off second leg this afternoon too. United are looking for a return to the top league after just one season in the Championship, and it would be a fine achievement for manager Ray McKinnon and his rebuilt team, while Hamilton will be hoping to extend their stay in the top league where they have been since 2014, having themselves achieved promotion via the play offs. The first leg at Tannadice finished 0-0, and already my nerves are shot, and it’s not even kick off time. It’s the hope etc etc ... “

You’ll win 1-0 through a diving header from Simon Murray. You heard it here last.

2.32pm BST

A year ago, Wimbledon beat Plymouth 2-0 to earn promotion to League One. It was quite an experience for their manager Neal Ardley - not least because he had a taxi to Heathrow waiting outside the stadium.

2.05pm BST

Blackpool (3-5-2) Slocombe; Aimson, Aldred, Robertson; Mellor, Danns, Payne, Potts, Daniel; Cullen, Vassell.
Substitutes: Lyness, Nolan, Black, Flores, Osayi-Samuel, Delfouneso, Gnanduillet.

Exeter (4-4-2) Pym; Stacey, Brown, Moore-Taylor, Woodman; Taylor, James, Harley; Wheeler, Watkins, Grant.
Substitutes: Olejnik, Tillson, Holmes, McAlinden, Croll, Sweeney, Reid.

12.41pm BST

Hello and welcome to live coverage of the League Two play-off final between Blackpool and Exeter at Wembley. Both sides are a great advert for the hopes and dramas of the play-off system. Exeter were bottom in mid-November, Blackpool were 15th at the start of March, yet both hit form sufficiently to finish in the top seven. And both reached Wembley with the kind of dramatic flourish that has become so familiar since the play-offs were introduced in 1987: they each won their semi-finals 6-5 on aggregate thanks to a 95th-minute goal.

The teams have plenty in common on the field. Off it, not so much. Exeter are a happy, supporter-run club. Blackpool’s fans are desperate to see the back of the Oyston family, and many will boycott today’s game. It’s a pretty sad situation for a club that charmed the Premier League only six seasons ago, and you can read all about it here.

View more on Rob Smyth's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on May 28, 2017 09:08

May 21, 2017

Liverpool 3-0 Middlesbrough: Premier League - as it happened

After an extremely nervous start, Liverpool romped back into the Champions League with three quickfire goals either side of half-time

5.10pm BST

And here’s Andy Hunter’s match report:

4.51pm BST

Peep peep! After a nervous first 45 minutes, Liverpool eased to the victory that ensures they will play in the Champions League qualifiers next season. They fully deserve it for an erratic but often exhilarating season’s work, and you suspect there will be a glory night or two at Anfield in the competition next season. Congratulations to Liverpool and City, commiserations to Arsenal. Thanks for your company throughout the Premier League season, bye!

4.48pm BST

90 min Tottenham are winning 7-1 at Hull.

4.47pm BST

89 min It’s been a bad day at two offices for Chambers: his current club Middlesbrough are losing 3-0, and as a result his parent club Arsenal will miss out on the Champions League.

4.46pm BST

88 min A bit of manbags from Moreno and Chambers, who square up and push each other over something and nothing.

4.45pm BST

87 min “Shooooooooooot” scream the crowd as Lucas receives the ball 20 yards inside his own half. At the end of a long, hard season, Liverpool are enjoying themselves, both on the pitch and in the stands.

4.43pm BST

86 min Alberto Moreno comes on for James Milner, perhaps also for a farewell appearance. Lucas takes the captain’s armband, a nice touch.

4.42pm BST

84 min The crowd urge Lucas to shoot every time he gets the ball. Instead he contributes repeatedly to a patient passing move, until the ball is moved wide to Milner. He sidefoots a terrific first-time cross that skims right across the face of goal.

4.40pm BST

83 min Daniel Sturridge comes off, to be replaced by Divock Origi.

4.39pm BST

82 min Negredo lofts a very good pass over the defence for Forshaw, who watches the ball over his shoulder but then drags his volley wide of the far post. He probably should have scored.

4.37pm BST

78 min Roberto Firmino comes off to be replaced by Lucas Leiva, the admirable old pro who may be playing his last game for Liverpool.

4.35pm BST

77 min Can’s low shot is well held by Guzan. Liverpool would like the embroidery of a fourth goal, but there isn’t the same edge to their play that there was 20 minutes ago.

4.33pm BST

76 min Crikey, Harry Kane has biffed another hat-trick for Spurs. He is turning into a monster.

4.32pm BST

75 min Just heard a rumour that Twin Peaks is back tonight. Stays on here.

4.31pm BST

74 min A Middlesbrough change: Fabio off, Daniel Ayala on. Make that two changes. Alvaro Negredo replaces the thunderingly ineffective Gestede.

4.31pm BST

73 min Sturridge lollipops Leadbitter to within an inch of his sanity and then bends one not far wide from long-range.

4.30pm BST

71 min “If, as a keeper, you plant yourself in the middle at a free-kick,” begins Stuart Ives, “A) you blind yourself from the wall; B) often you’ll leave you weak side exposed.”

Yes, fair point. What I meant, and conspicuously failed to say, is that I don’t understand why keepers plant their weight on one foot. That’s the real problem, not the positioning.

4.28pm BST

70 min Lallana’s deflected shot is comfortably saved by Guzan, whose kick downfield stays in the field of play! (And goes straight to Lovren.)

4.28pm BST

69 min “Guzan can’t keep it in the field of play,” says Joe Pearson. “Honestly, how many has he kicked directly out? Six? Seven?”

I missed that completely as well but will be keeping an eye out from hereon in. You’re welcome!

4.25pm BST

67 min Firmino plays a slick one-two with Lallana on the left and dinks a clever, flashy little ball into Wijnaldum, who slashes an acrobatic volley wide of the far post. Liverpool have played some terrific stuff since the 45th minute, with the marvellous Firmino involved in almost all their best moves.

4.24pm BST

66 min Liverpool will be dangerous outsiders in the Champions League. Their big-game record under Jurgen Klopp is tremendous, and even the best European teams won’t enjoy being harassed under the lights at Anfield. The worry for Liverpool is how it might impact upon their league form, especially as their squad isn’t the strongest.

4.22pm BST

64 min Coutinho frees Firmino in the box. His first touch is fractionally heavy, and then he tries to flick it back to Wijnaldum rather than shoot. It was nice improvisation but a Boro defender came across to clear.

4.21pm BST

63 min “Why do goalkeepers try and guess on free kicks?” says Hugh Molloy. “Just stand in the middle and you’ll save all but the best, stand on one side and play games and you can get beaten by mediocrity.” Agreed, it’s an odd and illogical approach. Peter Schmeichel often did it as well, especially in the Nou Camp.

4.20pm BST

62 min “Third goal, and I still can’t relax,” weeps Matt Dony. “This is what Liverpool have done to me when playing lower-down teams. I have lost all sense of reason.”

Yeah, you’ve reached a very special level of pessimism there.

4.18pm BST

61 min Well, that’s the top of the table settled then. Manchester City, who lead Watford 5-0, will finish third, with Liverpool in fourth and Arsenal fifth for the first time under Arsene Wenger. Thanks for your company throughout the season, bye!

4.17pm BST

59 min Gestede has been booked by Martin Atkinson, presumably for dissent.

4.16pm BST

58 min Liverpool are really enjoying themselves now. Coutinho, in the D, flips the ball up and hits a low volley that is fingertipped round the post by Guzan.

4.16pm BST

The goal came from a Middlesbrough corner. Liverpool broke, with five against two at one stage, only for Lallana to mishit his attempted pass. It didn’t matter because the ball was kept alive by Liverpool and Lallana burst into the area to receive Wijnaldum’s headed pass before sliding the ball across Guzan with his left foot.

4.14pm BST

Liverpool are running riot!

4.13pm BST

55 min There’s a triumphant din at Anfield now, and the trial has indeed turned into a party.

4.11pm BST

54 min “One more exam tomorrow and then my undergraduate degree is done,” says Billy Huband-Thompson. “‘Champions League football is more important than a good mark’. Discuss. (20 marks). Enjoying (read: enduring) the stream.”

I got 28 per cent in a Geography exam the morning after Man Utd beat Arsenal 6-2 at Highbury in 1990. The two were not entirely unrelated.

4.10pm BST

53 min Firmino’s vicious volley is heroically blocked by Friend.

4.09pm BST

That was a fine free-kick. Guzan and everyone else expected Coutinho to aim for the near side, the top-right corner; instead he wrapped his foot around the ball and whipped a bouncing free-kick into the bottom-left corner. Guzan might still have got there, but it was a lovely, disguised strike.

4.08pm BST

Philippe Coutinho ensures Liverpool will be in the Champions League (qualifiers) next season!

4.08pm BST

50 min Sturridge is pushed over 30 yards from goal by Clayton. This might be a chance for Coutinho...

4.06pm BST

49 min The early signs are that Liverpool won’t be sitting on their one-goal lead, which is surely the right approach. If this is 1-0 up after 85 minutes, it’ll be squeaky-bum time in excelsis.

4.05pm BST

48 min Jurgen Klopp literally started beating his own chest when Wijnaldum scored. I have no idea what to make of that.

4.03pm BST

47 min “Is It just me, or did Danny Sturridge look decidely grumpy to not be played in by Wijnaldum EVEN AFTER THE BALL CROSSED THE LINE?” says Drew Gough. “I picture him spending half time mumbling ‘shoulda been me’.”

Oh, I missed that. Sounds quite out of character though.

4.03pm BST

46 min Peep peep! Boro begin the second half, kicking from left to right.

3.56pm BST

“Thanks, David Forrest!” says Dennis Mumby. “I feel thoroughly vindicated, perhaps a little smug, even.”

3.56pm BST

The Sky pundits - Graeme Souness, Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher - all think Middlesbrough should have had a penalty for that challenge by Lovren on Bamford, and a red card for Lovren as well.

3.51pm BST

“Hello from Sri Lanka,” says David Forrest. “Re the guy on 27 minutes who thought the new strip looked 1970s, please see this photo of The King - it’s pure 1978!”

3.48pm BST

Liverpool are on course for the Champions League, and to hell with a very nervous first 45 minutes 33 seconds. See you soon for the second half.

3.47pm BST

It was a good goal. Firmino, with his back to goal, flicked the ball smartly round the corner to Wijnaldum, who surged into the box onto his own superb first touch and screamed a rising shot past Guzan at the near post. That came right off the sweet spot.

3.46pm BST

There’s the heavy metal football! What’s past is prologue, and Liverpool can forget their dismal first-half performance because they have scored in injury-time.

3.44pm BST

45 min Liverpool are playing chillout football when everyone expected heavy metal.

3.43pm BST

44 min Another nervous moment for Liverpool as Bamford breaks into the box on the right. He tried to abracadabra his way past Matip, with almost no room to play with by the touchline, and failed.

3.42pm BST

43 min Manchester City have done their work: they lead Watford 4-0 and will be finishing third in the table. Ten-man Arsenal still lead Everton 2-0.

3.42pm BST

41 min Middlesbrough are having an even share of the game at the moment. The nervousness around the ground is almost surreal. It’s Middlesbrough at home!

3.40pm BST

40 min “Can you play Ally’s Army at half-time?” requests Alun Pugh. “Anfield: that’s the venue of the infamous Joe Jordan handball in 1977 that cheated Wales out of a place in the World Cup Finals. I was singing “Ally’s Army” and laughing all through the 1-3 Peru match. Not that Welsh fans hold grudges or are bitter, mind.”

If you can’t bring up a grudge in an almost entirely unrelated match 40 years later, then when can you?

3.39pm BST

39 min Some more relaxed, penetrative football from Boro. Friend meanders forward, plays a one-two with Gestede and then backheels the ball into the area for Bamford. He tries to make room for a shot that deflects behind for Boro’s first corner. Mignolet punches it clear.

3.37pm BST

36 min Lallana shoots unnecessarily and optimistically from long range, bringing another comfortable save from Guzan. The crowd are so nervous, and that has definitely started to affect the players, who are shooting way too often from distance. They just need to keep their nerve, there is loads of time and they should only need one goal.

3.35pm BST

34 min Lallana almost makes something out of nothing, picking up a loose ball and surging into the area. Gibson tracks him all the way and concedes a corner, the first of the match. Excellent defending.

3.34pm BST

34 min Anyone out there, or are you all busy at the fingernail buffet?

3.33pm BST

33 min That’s better from Liverpool. Coutinho feeds a gentle ball into Sturridge, who turns smartly and drives a right-footed shot just wide from 15 yards. Jurgen Klopp growls and punches the air at the fans, asking for more noise.

3.32pm BST

32 min I’m at a loss to explain why Liverpool are playing so modestly. I MBMed their home games against Spurs and Arsenal, when they played the most exhilarating football.

3.30pm BST

31 min Coutinho fizzes a shot wide from 25 yards. Guzan was happy to watch it go by.

3.30pm BST

30 min “‘cleverly got in front of Lovren’,” says William Hargreaves of the 23rd-minute entry. “What match is this?”

What day is this?

3.28pm BST

29 min Liverpool’s tempo has been relatively slow, I’ve no idea why. They aren’t playing well, but there is loads of time to address that. And they need to win, because Arsenal and Manchester City both lead 2-0.

3.27pm BST

27 min “Is it my imagination, or is the new Liverpool strip a bit of a throwback to the 1970s?” asks Dennis Mumby. “Looks like a shirt I used to wear as a teenager back then. Perhaps in anticipation of Champions League football next year they’re trying to evoke those early glory days in Europe?”

I didn’t get the 1970s from looking at it but I did get a sense of the past. It is quite neat, prim even.

3.24pm BST

25 min Boro are playing some good stuff now. Downing’s lofted cross from the left is perfect for Gestede, who towers about Lovren near the penalty spot and flicks a header just wide of the far post.

3.24pm BST

23 min Having seen the replay, I’m not sure about that penalty appeal. Bamford played a fine one-two with Forshaw and then cleverly got in front of Lovren so that there would be contact from the rear. Whether it was enough for a penalty, I don’t know. I suspect a penalty would be given maybe six or seven times out of 10 for something like that.

3.22pm BST

22 min Middlesbrough have a huge shout for a penalty turned down! Bamford broke through on goal behind Lovren, who seemed to bring him down clumsily, but Martin Atkinson waved his hands from side to side, the universal sign of self-importance. Sorry, the universal sign for ‘no penalty’.

3.21pm BST

21 min Can briefly turns into John Travolta, dancing past a couple of defenders before crashing an excellent rising shot just wide of the far top corner.

3.20pm BST

20 min The one thing Middlesbrough have going for them is that they can defend - they’ve conceded fewer goals than any other team in the bottom half - and they are doing it well so far. After a free-kick bounces nicely, Firmino’s shot is superbly blocked, as is Wijnaldum’s stinging follow-up.

3.17pm BST

18 min ... which Downing whacks into the wall.

3.17pm BST

17 min Bamford is fouled by Milner, just outside the box to the right. Arsenal’s Calum Chambers will come forward for the free-kick...

3.16pm BST

16 min Milner’s cross is flicked on by Firmino to Wijnaldum, who spins and hits a shot that is blocked by Gibson. Meanwhile, some very good news for Liverpool: Arsenal are down to 10 men against Everton, with Laurent Koscielny sent off.

3.13pm BST

13 min After a very good start, Liverpool have had a few minutes of more sterile domination. They still have loads of time, and they have the huge advantage of knowing Boro are almost certainly not going to

cross the halfway line
score a goal.

3.11pm BST

12 min Liverpool have had 82 per cent possession so far. The atmosphere isn’t great, surprisingly.

3.10pm BST

11 min “Midnight in Australia, the hound not interested,” says Tom Ballantyne, attaching a picture of a snoozing dinky that I can’t upload. “Says something about the state of modern Liverpool/football that I’m riding this like a European Cup final.”

3.08pm BST

9 min Liverpool can do things at their leisure, knowing they have 90 minutes to get the goal they need. There is no way Middlesbrough will score here. As things stand, Liverpool are fifth in the table - Arsenal and Manchester City both lead. No need to panic, as Boro are dreadful.

3.06pm BST

6 min Milner’s lofted cross skims across a crowded box to the other full-back Clyne, who takes it down well but then thrashes a good chance wide of the far post on the half-volley. It’s all Liverpool.

3.04pm BST

4 min In a surprising development, Liverpool have had almost all the possession in the first few minutes.

3.02pm BST

2 min Coutinho goes on a long, winding run across the field before suddenly whipping a very dangerous cross into the six-yard box. Sturridge was already through his heading motion when Chambers made a vital clearance, flicking it away with his own noggin.

3.00pm BST

1 min Firmino has the first shot after 21 seconds, a low long-ranger that is comfortably held by the sprawling Guzan.

3.00pm BST

1 min Peep peep! Liverpool, in their new 2017-18 home kit, kick off from left to right. Boro are in their blue away kit.

2.58pm BST

The players are having their pre-match hugs. Ready? Let’s rumble.

2.56pm BST

Prediction Liverpool 5-0 Middlesbrough

2.55pm BST

“Just wanted to send a quick thank you to you and the rest of Team Guardian Towers for a season’s worth of MBM Reports,” says Hubert O’Hearn. “We’ve laughed, we’ve mused, we’ve wandered down some unusual digressions, but never been bored. Well, you may have occasionally been bored, but that’s only because you’ve had to watch the matches. It’s been fun - suggest we do it all again next season. Now to open a few Tins and hope they are to celebrate Liverpool’s return to the CL and not a drowning of sorrows. Cheers!”

On behalf of all the MBM writers, I’d like to thank me as well. Cheers!

2.44pm BST

Jurgen Klopp does his pre-match duty

“The players are fine. I’m really looking forward to it. All the good moments in this season have created 73 points and this opportunity. We’re in a very good position and that’s why I try to tell the boys. We have to create chances, but first of all we have to defend because they have nothing to lose. The plan is that we all shout together after the game ‘Yeeeeeeeeeessssssssss!’ Then a word with F and a lot of beeps, and then again ‘yes’!”

2.38pm BST

An email! “Thanks for not linking to the Guardian article about this possibly being Sturridge’s last game,” says Ian Copestake, slightly overestimating my capacity for editorial judgement. “It is not his last game. He is a man to be cherished, celebrated and wished good luck for his struggles against injuries that have stopped him from being a legend at Anfield.”

2.25pm BST

There will be plenty going on elsewhere on the final day of the season, and you can read all about it at your leisure via your digital weapon of choice.

2.24pm BST

A bit of the old pre-match reading

2.02pm BST

Roberto Firmino is fit and starts, as does Daniel Sturridge.

Liverpool (4-D-2) Mignolet; Clyne, Matip, Lovren, Milner; Can; Wijnaldum, Coutinho; Lallana; Sturridge, Firmino.
Substitutes: Karius, Alexander-Arnold, Klavan, Moreno, Lucas, Grujic, Origi.

10.56am BST

Good afternoon. Liverpool are Champions League royalty in exile. They have won it five times - the same as Barcelona and Bayern Munich, fewer than only Milan and Madrid - yet in recent times they have hardly been in it. Since appearing in each of Rafa Benitez’s six seasons as manager, usually with great success, they have qualified just once in seven years. It is something they intend to address today.

Liverpool have one game left, at Anfield, and if they win it they will finish in the top four. The good news is that it’s against Middlesbrough. The bad news is that it’s against Middlesbrough. All season Liverpool have had a problem against deep-lying defences and lesser teams (You want stats? I can get you stats. Believe me, there are ways; you don’t wanna know about it. Hell I can get you stats by 3 o’clock this afternoon, with data visualisations*). Middlesbrough tick both those boxes.

View more on Rob Smyth's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on May 21, 2017 08:51

← Previous 1 2 … 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 … 204 205 Next →

Rob Smyth's Blog

Rob Smyth's profile
4 followers

Rob Smyth isn't a Goodreads Author (yet), but they do have a blog, so here are some recent posts imported from their feed.