Pakistan are CT Champions!

Congratulations to Pakistan for lulling everyone into a false sense of security with that embarrassment at Edgbaston two weeks ago before trouncing England and now India to claim their first Champions Trophy and first ODI crown since Imran’s men held aloft the World Cup 25 years ago.

After that Group B defeat to India, coach Micky Arthur described it as “a reality check of where we are in ODIs”. Seeing as Pakistan were ranked eighth entering the competition, this seemed an appropriate response. So how did his charges transform so quickly from no-hopers into irresistible champions?

I suspect the answer is not a simple one; a mix of good fortune, hard work, strategy and brilliant individual performances when it mattered. The India opener excepted, Pakistan’s strength lay with their seam bowlers. The strategy of softening up the opposition with Mohammad Amir and Junaid Khan, entice them with the spinners then – POW! – introduce Hasan Ali and bring back the opening pair. Crucial spells did for South Africa and Sri Lanka then in the Cardiff semi, everyone played their part in a game few expected them to win.

The England engine room of big hitters failed miserably to attack the Pakistan bowlers of all speeds. Yet again it was Hasan who stole the show with three wickets but the team’s major improvement was in their batting. Azhar Ali and Fakhar Zaman shared a century partnership before Babar Azam and Mohammad Hafeez finished the job in style, defying the country’s reputation for failed run chases.

Once India had made similarly short work of Bangladesh the following day, the assumption was that Pakistan’s renaissance would come unstuck against Kohli and co in the final. Surely the Indian batting would be too strong even for a full-strength Pakistani pace attack?

The India skipper has been condemned for winning the toss and inserting Pakistan. However, it’s not such a stupid decision when there are himself, Sharma, Dhawan, Yuvraj, Dhoni et al to charge towards any target. Where it began to look fragile was when newbie Fakhar followed his two 50s with a maiden ODI century. Hafeez demonstrated his ability not only to plod in Tests but also to strike sixes and suddenly they were 338-4. No probs. All week, counties were knocking up scores of 350+ in the Royal London Cup so why not India?

Amir took the new ball and trapped Sharma plumb third ball. His tail up, he continued to bowl superbly, ably assisted by Junaid, and India’s famed batting order was in tatters. The top five were all back in the pavilion with just 54 on the board and this time Sarfraz would not let his side’s collective boot off the Indian neck. Pandya showed some aggression and singlehandedly kept India in the hunt for three quarters of an hour. However, a farcical run-out mess with Jadeja left the tail exposed and that man Hasan Ali did the rest.

The 180-run victory margin was by far the biggest for a side batting first in an ICC one-day final and high on the list for any global competition fixture against a Test-playing nation. Hasan was named the Player of the Tournament, surely a no-brainer. He took the most wickets (13), had the best average (14.69) and the meanest economy rate (4.29). His youth (just 23) and inexperience were further demonstrated by the necessity of using an interpreter for the post-match interview. Ludicrously it was a one-sided translation so only Urdu speakers were able to understand his answers! Hopefully we’ll hear, as well as see a lot more of him in the future.

So are Pakistan now a global force once more, even without the retired Younis and Misbah? The CT triumph will undoubtedly boost the confidence of the team, the management and the PCA. New players have come through fro the discredited domestic cricket set-up. And yet the latter’s consistent cock-up tendencies will probably not disappear overnight.

And India? Well, their strength in depth is undimmed. Even if MS Dhoni calls it a day, Kohli leads a formidable squad and they must remain the side to beat when the World Cup comes along in 2019. England will also be hoping to shrug off the Cardiff debacle, and become champions for the first time ever.

Team of the Tournament:-

Tamim Iqbal (Ban), Dhawan (Ind), Kohli (Ind), Root (Eng), Williamson (NZ), Shakib (Ban), Sarfraz (Pak + *), Plunkett (Eng), Junaid Khan (Pak), Hasan Ali (Pak), Hazlewood (Aus)

Champions Trophy: Pakistan Punish Poor England

Following the excitement of last Friday’s triumph of Bangladesh over New Zealand, today’s trip to Sophia Gardens resulted in one of the most one-sided contests I have witnessed first-hand!

It all started so well. For once, warm sunshine was beaming down on Cardiff, and uninterrupted play was on the cards. The crowd was a healthy mix of England and Pakistan fans and I took my seat in the little Castle Stand beneath the scoreboard anticipating a great day’s cricket and probable win by Eoin Morgan’s men. That seemed more likely upon hearing the line-ups without the name of Mohammed Amir and with Jonny Bairstow replacing Roy.

With Sarfraz Ahmed inserting the home team, the scene was set for another blistering 300+ total. In the first few overs, the gods seemed to be English, too. Bairstow and Hales must consider themselves highly fortunate to survive LBW reviews. The Yorkshireman bristled with aggression as usual, and his partnership with Joe Root promised so much. However, it delivered few boundaries.

The bowlers were switched frequently and everyone stepped up to the mark. Junaid Khan, debutant Summan Raees and Hasan Ali generally kept to a good line and length, while the trio of spinners were also in a mean mood. Nevertheless, at 128-2 just after halfway, the situation demanded the customary acceleration we have come to expect from the likes of Morgan, Buttler and Stokes.

In actuality, the run rate slowed down. Not once in the second half of the England innings did they manage more than six an over. More startling was the dearth of fours or sixes. Stokes was strangled impressively and had produced not a single boundary in his 34 when he skied an attempted hook from the lively Hasan. There were spectacular catches and a few drops but respect to the Pakistan attack for persevering throughout and restricting England to a paltry 211 all out. The pitch may have been used before but surely this wasn’t a low-200s track?

In their reply, Pakistan’s openers knew they didn’t need to go mad, yet they didn’t hold back. Mark Wood’s first over went for 10, including four leg-side wides. Fakhar Zaman was the leading strokemaker while his right-handed partner Azhar Ali was more about finding the ones and twos. This was looking an easy task. They took their stand past the century mark and looked pretty invincible until Adil Rashid lured Fakhar out of his crease and Buttler removed the bails.

Was this the moment when Morgan put his foot on the neck? Er, no. Unlike England, Pakistan merely carried on as before. Babar Azam joined the six-hitter club. Azhar Ali was out attempting a weird hook, and merely deflecting the ball down onto his stumps, which brought the usually circumspect Mohammad Hafeez to the middle. By this stage, the England supporters were definitely disgruntled. Indeed, many were trailing out in search of an early train, and I found myself alone on my row.

Ben Stokes was just as bad with the ball as the bat. 2 million dollar man?? Even Hafeez flat-batted him for a straight six, the result of a free hit because Morgan had placed too many outside the circle. In the end, the field was brought in for Hafeez but these were desperate measures. The coup de grace was applied by the same batsman, pulling another short Stokes delivery to the mid-wicket boundary with a ‘mere’ 77 balls remaining.

What a sensational result! England had been put to the sword and maybe even India must be a little nervous at meeting again the side they beat earlier in the competition. Nevertheless, Bangladesh have proved they are no pushovers and CT17 may yet yield another surprise.

Champions Trophy: Bangladesh Tigers roar and Baggy Greens whimper

The competition is certainly hitting its stride now, but England were in ominous form from the word go. It’s no surprise to me that the hosts have scorched their way to the top of Group A with a 100% record. My preview failed to predict the impact of the British weather, always the great leveller in cricket competitions, especially when all the games matter as in the Champions Trophy.

In particular, the rain interrupted all of Australia’s fixtures. Of course, you can’t say that they would have been victorious had the heavens not opened and the covers rolled on. Even Steve Smith admitted his side were in trouble against New Zealand at Edgbaston last week. On the other hand, they were looking good against Bangladesh, Mitchell Starc’s final 4-wicket burst setting up what had seemed a simple target under clear skies.

Today’s defeat to England on Duckworth/Lewis was no fluke, though. Eoin Morgan and Ben Stokes had dragged the hosts out of a tricky situation and the Aussies were down and out when play was finally halted for good. That they did so was the result of another dramatic turnaround; one I was delighted to have witnessed at first hand.

As is common in Cardiff, there had been plenty of rain in the previous 24 hours, so it was unsurprising to arrive at the stadium to see the big screen announcing a pitch inspection at 10.45. Fortunately a few sunny spells were helping to dry out the square and outfield and so umpires Llong and Gould gave their go-ahead for an 11.30 start. Phew!

I’d gone for a ticket to see Bangladesh v New Zealand as I’d never before seen the former nation in live action. It was also many years since I’d seen the Black Caps play – in a 3-day game against Essex. I could not have anticipated experiencing the drama of a side’s reversal of fortunes in a 50-over international.

Kane Williamson had won the toss and elected to bat first. With a meagre crowd of neutrals like me, vociferous tiger-waving Bangladesh fans and some keen primary schoolchildren, much of the New Zealand innings was unremarkable. Martin Guptill’s early six was not an indication of things to come, as the wicket seemed to help the Tigers’ seamers. Williamson and Ross Taylor mixed delightful boundaries and play-and-misses but once they fell, a familiar collapse ensued. Broom, Neesham and Santner scampered a number of singles and twos but Mossadek’s spin yielded three quick victims and Rubel Hossain bought the Bangla fans to their feet. 265-8 isn’t a bad total for Cardiff but it should have been more.

Bangladesh’s innings got off to a dreadful start. Tim Southee trapped the previously prolific Tamim Iqbal first ball and the same bowler did for Soumya and Sabbir in his next two overs. Trent Boult also caused huge problems, and the diminutive Mushfiqur Rahim in particular was struggling against pace and short-pitched deliveries and it was probably a merciful release when Milne produced a perfect nip-backer to flatten middle stump. That brought Mahmudullah to accompany Shakib al Hasan. A young supporter beside me asked what I thought the pair should do. Er, be patient, build a partnership and not get out?!

So far, so obvious, but that is exactly what they did. There was no resort to T20-style histrionics; just finding gaps for singles and the occasional four, maintaining the run-a-ball target rate. As time went on, the experienced pair played themselves in, improving their timing against the seam of Neesham, Milne and Anderson. When Boult and Southee were brought back early, Mahmudullah and Shakib were no longer vulnerable; they were on a roll. Mitchell Santner’s spin looked more effective at first but any poor deliveries were punished. The hundred partnership came and went, and each player advanced into the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s. The children in the crowd had gone but the few Bangladesh fans were compensating for their absence as they sensed an unlikely victory.

When Shakib reached three figures with his first six, it was game over. Skipper Williamson was powerless, the number of wides increased as bowlers tried a bit too hard and Shakib cracked further beautiful drives and pulls before he risked a swipe too many against Boult and lost his off stump. The partnership had swelled to 222, an ODI record for Bangladesh. It seemed appropriate that Mahmudullah also reached his third one-day century shortly after but it was Mossadek’s boundary which clinched a five-wicket victory with almost three overs remaining.

NZ were definitely out and Bangladesh knew they had to wait another 24 hours to see whether England would do them a favour by beating the Aussies. Which we now know is exactly what Morgan’s men did.

Congratulations to Bangladesh for proving me and many others wrong. I now await to see who I will be seeing meet England at Sophia Gardens next Wednesday. It’s anybody’s guess…

Champions Trophy 2017 Preview

Personally, I have no regrets about ignoring the latest IPL extravaganza. However, I shall not allow the forthcoming Champions Trophy to suffer the same fate. It may be the poor relation to the actual World Cup, but for a few splendid weeks in June it will still give a platform to many of the world’s most exciting cricketers.

What’s more, it all takes place here in the UK. And much of it in my home town of Cardiff! I know all the publicity is focussed on the Champions League Final next Saturday but come 6^th June the city will also be hosting a genuinely global sporting jamboree, not merely the two best club sides from a single continent. Yes, the football will be a great spectacle, featuring the likes of Ronaldo, Buffon and Modric, but the Welsh capital should soon be witnessing the likes of Root, Buttler, Williamson, Boult, Mohammad Amir, Shakib, Hasan, Mathews and Malinga.

I have tickets only for two fixtures. However, the first will be my first close-up view of Bangladesh, as they face New Zealand next week. They may well be in place of West Indies but they are there on merit, boasting some world-class players and could well progress from the group stage. My other ticket is for the first semi-final, which frankly could involve any two of the eight participants. India v England? South Africa v Australia? Either would be a real lip-smacker, but I’ll settle for anything!

I’m not sure how much the ICC rankings matter when it comes to tournaments like this. Based on the current positions, the semis should be South Africa against the Black Caps and the Aussies (assuming they can actually field a team) facing India. But that ignores the home advantage enjoyed by England. Highly fancied the last time the competition took place here, they were defeated by MS Dhoni’s team in the final. I definitely expect them to be at The Oval on 18^th June, too.

But if they reach the last four, which side apart from Bangladesh from Group A will give way? It’s a well-worn comment that NZ box above their weight in World Cups, and with Captain Kane, Anderson, Taylor, Boult and Southee they have some top players. Yet if the likes of Smith, Warner and Starc are performing, who could bet against the Baggie Greens, for all their claims of poverty?

I’d love to see India come to Cardiff on the 14^th. I have happy memories of the fervent, good-natured crowds in 2013, filling the stands of Sophia Gardens for the victories over the Proteas and Sri Lanka. True, there will already have been the sell-outs of England-Australia and India-Pakistan at Edgbaston, but surely there can be room for another classic on the banks of the River Taff.

While they came off second-best in the recent warm-up series against England, South Africa cannot be discounted. Top of the rankings and claiming the best record since the 2015 World Cup against the CT participants, they should get the better of Pakistan and SL but the beauty of such a crisp, concise competition is that anybody can win it. One unlikely group stage victory can form the foundation of a march all the way to the trophy. Can anyone stop England? If India again reach the final, and I think they will, I reckon the vocal power of their fans will be the decisive factor. Kohli may be the man holding the trophy aloft but it will be the virtual strength of the India supporters lifting him.

India champs but are England chokers?!

Congratulations, India! Boy, did they cut it fine! After all that waiting for the Edgbaston rain to subside, I was disappointed at India's progress as Bopara and Tredwell invited mishit or mistimed thumps to fielders. Some late strokes from Ravi Jadeja advanced the score to 129-7 but that looked such an easy target I grudgingly handed over the remote to my cricket widow certain of the result. How wrong was I, and how miffed that I hadn't clung to the gadget so as to witness the thrilling climax of the Champions Trophy final.

The spin of Jadeja and Ashwin throttled the top order then Ishant Sharma, while expensive, claimed the wickets of Bopara and Morgan. Cue the collapse and India had triumphed by a mere five runs. Brilliant that we had experienced any play at all, so perhaps the groundstaff and umpires deserve some thanks, too. With Edgbaston turned into another home game for Dhoni et al, I don't think anyone could really begrudge India this success. Following their World Cup triumph, they can now call themselves the one-day kings. In the past fortnight they won games over 20, 40 and 50 overs, twice chasing down targets in only 35!

The Champions Trophy threw up great performances by numerous players, but a team of the tournament would surely consist largely of Indians. Shikhar Dharwan compiled 363 runs, over 50% more than the next man, Jonathan Trott. And he scored them at more than a run a ball. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were alos amongst the runs, so much so that the rest of the line-up barely had a look-in. Ravi Jadeja's double in the final earned him the Golden Ball, or whatever is awarded to the highest wicket-taker of the competition. An economy rate of under four an over was equally impressive. Indeed, there were no real weak links in the side ove rthe past few weeks. Even the much-maligned Ishant Sharma played his part, and all fielded brilliantly. I know Test cricket poses a different challenge but suddenly life without Tendulkar, Gambhir, Yuvraj, Sehwag, Harbajhan and Zaheer Khan doesn't look so bleak.

But what about England? Their run of failures in proper ODI tourneys continues. Poor South Africa have been lumbered with the 'choker' tag but surely England are more deserving of the unwanted label. They've lost far more finals than the Proteas! Actually, I think that description is just lazy. Sometimes you have to concede defeat to a better team on the day. I don't think England weren't trying; it's just moments of bad luck or a fine line between a superb boundary and an outfield catch which decide a finale. With KP predictably smashing a big century for Surrey in his comeback match, would he have made a difference to England's side? Possibly, but he would probably have taken Bopara's place, and he had a pretty good tournament. No, just hand it to India. Played five, won five. Simply the best in June 2013, and young enough hopefully to thrill spectators in limited over cricket for years to come.

India Cruise through

And so it came to pass: England will face England at Edgbaston for the ICC Champions Trophy. Each enjoyed an easy ride through the semis as first South Africa then Sri Lanka batted slowly and feebly, leaving their opponents straightforward run chases.

At a warm, sunny Oval, Jonathan Trott steered the ship home to port with an impressive 82 not out, but it was the bowling of James Tredwell and the ever-dependable Jimmy Anderson who strangled then carved open the South African batting. When Ingram, Amla, De Villiers and Duminy scrape together a mere four runs between them, the Proteas have no chance, and so it proved. They have missed Smith and Kallis although the absence in most games through injury of Steyn and Morne Morkel was probably the more harmful.

I was at Cardiff yesterday for the much-anticipated clash between neighbours and frequent rivals India and Sri Lanka. Fearing the worst, I turned up with brolly, book and newspaper but somehow the dull blanket of cloud never produced any rain once the overnight soaking had cleared this part of South Wales. The game started half an hour late to enable groundstaff to mop up the outfield but, with the floodlights providing welcome brightness and warmth, the weather failed to dampen the occasion.

As at the tournament opener at the same stadium, Indian fans thronged the stands, their cheerful but always polite exuberance creating a memorable atmosphere. It didn't quite match the colour and spectacle of that high-scoring win over South Africa. However, once it became obvious that the Indian seamers had complete mastery over the competition, the crowd settled down to cheer their young team to victory. In the main stand I took pleasure in watching Dharwan, the adored Kohli and new hero Ravi Jadeja respond to the crowd, milking then leading the applause. They felt at home, and their bowler were to respond, too.

To the neutral, it was a mediocre contest. Somehow I expected more of a side boasting Sangakkara, Jayawardene, Kulasekera and Malinga, each of whom had illuminated the competition with superb performances in the previous week or so. OK, so the retirement with a torn calf muscle of Dilshan soon after crashing two consecutive boundaries was a blow. Nevertheless, Sanga was clearly frustrated with his inability to make his strokes against 'Bhuvy' Kumar, Yadav and Ishant Sharma, each of whom frequently beat the bat, caught an edge or made the batsman duck sharply. Even Mahela wasn't his usual twinkle-toed self. The pitch seemed so conducive to seam that MS Dhoni even bowled four overs himself and had appeared to take a wicket with only his second ball, only for the decsion to be overturned on review. Is there anything that man cannot do?! Suresh Raina, meanwhile, helped himself to three successive catches at second slip.

After 20 overs, Sri Lanka were only 47-3 and, while skipper Angelo Mathews finally struck a defiant six on his way to 51, the total of 181 was hardly a strong one. Unless the high-scoring duo of Shikhar Dharwan and Rohit Sharma cold finally slip up, that is. They didn't. Where the Indian seamers had prospered in the heavy conditions, the Sri Lankans failed to dent the confidence of the prolific pair until Rohit charged at Mathews and missed in the 17th over. At that stage they had twice the runs as SL had at the same point in their innings. Dharwan rode his luck at times, with a few dropped catches, but he expressed annoyance with himself for being stumped by centimetres off Mendis for 68. However, there wasn't enough time to secure a third hundred of the tournament. Kohli and Raina stepped up the attack and suddenly it was all over with ninety balls to spare.

The Cardiff/Glamorgan organisers did themselves proud this fortnight. The volunteers, including stewards who earned their keep coping with two pitch invasions in the semi, were magnificent, entering into the spirit while retaining an air of professionalism. And the venue played host to a real mix of matches. All that is left is a final between the two most powerful sides in the competition. India have looked excellent right through the side, but then, apart from that reverse to Sri Lanka, the same could be said of England. Perhaps India have the edge with the bat although in Anderson, the hosts have the best bowler in these oonditions. My prediction: England to take their first 50-over title.

Sri Lanka make it through

So it's Sri Lanka to meet India in Cardiff on Thursday. Just for once, my prediction was right. However, there was a period when, having blown their chance of winning quickly enough to qualify, Australia's final pair seemed to be coasting to an unlikely victory to spoil the Sri Lankans' party. The team's over-exuberant appealing can be really annoying, but they know how to celebrate and so do their fans who filled The Oval today.

It may have been Dilshan's brilliant caught-and-bowled which clinched the win by just twenty runs but it was the earlier contribution from Mahela Jayawardene which deservedly won him the Man of the Match award. One of my favourite players of modern times, Mahela just oozes class when he gets going. Sangakkara may have failed this time but his veteran team-mate compensated with a run-a-ball 84 featuring eleven sparkling boundaries. Xavier Doherty did well to quieten things down mid-innings but Sri Lanka passed 250 to leave the Aussies knowing a rapid start was necessary. A simple win would not be enough to progress; they had to do it within 29 overs or so to improve their net run rate sufficiently to overtake New Zealand.

George Bailey set the standard early on but wickets fell and the Voges/Marsh partnership was too slow. Thereafter it became a matter of pride for the Aussies, although Black Cap players and supporters found themselves in the unusual situation of cheering for their neighbours and rivals. So Sri Lanka advance having beaten both England and Australia, while the latter, badly missing Michael Clarke, are heading home. Maybe there'll be a few last-minute temporary contacts being signed on the county circuit instead!?

I said an England-India clash would be the organisers' dream final and that must be the most likely outcome. When even Alastair Cook strikes two sixes in a limited over match, you kinda feel it's meant to be. However, in yesterday's rain-shortened game against New Zealand, it was the suite of bowlers who produced the decisive performance. That and the fielding. While Nathan McCullum at first seemed unable to pull off even the most basic of catches (forget the ball-tampering, was Nathan in the pay of Cook?!!) - the home team looked the keener outfit. Perhaps NZ were putting too much hope in the Cardiff clouds to deliver the pre- 20 over abandonment they needed. However, Broad, Anderson, Bresnan and even Bopara bowled pretty tightly and the field placements were spot on.

The weather forecast looks OK for the England-SA fixture and if AB, Amla and Steyn are firing on all cylinders, the home squad will have their work cut out to reach another final. The Thursday prognosis is not so good for Cardiff. A washout will see India through because they won their group. If an abbreviated game takes place, it could be anybody's match and Messrs Duckworth Lewis may be heavily involved in deciding the result. Nevertheless, I look forward to the opportunity of witnessing a game whose outcome owes more to Dhoni, Dilshan or Dhawan than downpours. It's what the sell-out crowd deserves.

Essex meek, SA squeak

What a day of cricketing contrasts! At Chelmsford, the Essex faithful witnessed one of the worst batting failures in modern history while in Cardiff, Duckworth-Lewis served up the cruellest of finishes for the West Indies and luckiest for South Africa.

The County Championship has produced mixed fortunes for Essex this season. When they were trounced by Northants earlier in the season, coach Paul Grayson humbly apologised. This evening the dressing room was in shock after Glen Chapple and Kyle Hogg ripped through the Eleven in barely an hour. Twenty all out is their lowest ever score in the competition and the lowest by anyone against Lancashire. In the days of black-and-white, a team might at least have had uncovered wickets as an excuse for such an appalling performance but the Chelmsford pitch was supposedly placid, the visitors having just racked up 398, with the aforementioned Chapple and Hogg each scoring half-centuries at the tail end!

Even more remarkable is that 75% of Essex's second innings came from boundaries, two of which were scored by Jaik Mickelburgh who came perilously close to carrying his bat for ten runs! Lancashire's innings victory takes them to second place and into strong contention for promotion. Essex remain in mid-table but their confidence must be zapped to pieces. Elsewhere in Division Two, Kyle Coetzer's career-best 219 was the cornerstone of Northants' massive score but rain helped Leicestershire survive. Hampshire accepted Gloucestershire's stiff final-day target of 411 after forfeited innings, but may have regretted it after falling almost 200 short.

In Division One, Yorkshire (easily) and Durham (in a nailbiting climax against Warwickshire) claimed their fourth wins of the campaign and occupy the top two slots, displacing Middlesex who were crushed by the White Roses.

So, back to Cardiff and that rain-truncated Group B game in the Champions Trophy. That there were enough hours between showers to have any real contest was a bonus but the way the game ended was remarkable. West Indies had already won the toss and put the Saffers in, but as Ingram, De Villiers, Miller et al stroked their way to 230-6 in the 31 allotted overs, it looked a difficult proposition. Buoyed by Dale Steyn's return to fitness, South Africa kept Johnson Charles fairly quiet although Chris Gayle had moved on to 36 before giving a leading edge catch off Morris. Samuels entertained for a while but, with the clouds amassing, most eyes were on the fluctuating D/L par score.

With Pollard and Dwayne Bravo at the crease, they were keeping pace until the former heaved at McLaren and was well caught at third man by Steyn. The clouds wept heavy drizzle and no sooner had Darren Sammy reached the middle the umpires waved everybody off. They were 190-6 and the D/L par score? 190! No further play was possible and so it ended a tie! With one point apiece, South Africa qualified for the semis on net run rate. Had Pollard not been out the previous ball the Windies would have won the game and AB's men would be on their way home. A tough way to go but big Kieron could not have predicted the imminent arrival of the rain.

So the Proteas squeak through, behind the Indians who are now guaranteed to play at Cardiff next Thursday. Glad I have that ticket! Who they play is anyone's guess. Sadly the weather forecasts for the weekend are dismal indeed, especially for the England v NZ clash. I'd say one of those two will win Group A, with Sri Lanka possibly joining them in the knockouts. India v Sri Lanka at Cardiff. That's a mouth-watering match if ever there was one.

Dhawan dominates again

Well, it's all looking so good for India again. World Cup holders and now they seem to be the team to beat in the Champions Trophy. I enjoyed being in Cardiff to watch their opening triumph against South Africa and, unless Pakistan beat them in what would normally be called a 'dead rubber', I should be seeing them in semi-final action at the same venue next Thursday.

Shikhar Dhawan collected another century today, Rohit Sharma another fifty and Ravi Jadeja more plaudits for his bowling as the West Indies crumbled. Half-centuries from opener Johnson Charles, in for banned cheat Ramdin, and Darren Sammy were nowhere near enough to set Dhoni's men a testing target at The Oval. It was all over with more than ten overs remaining. England's easy victory over Australia at the weekend sets them up for the clash with Sri Lanka who came close to denying New Zealand in that memorable match in Wales a few days ago. In my mind, it's all set for an India v England final but of course this is one-day cricket and anything could happen. A Malinga blitz can change a game in minutes so Cook, Trott, Buttler and co need to practise digging out yorkers.

Pakistan have been very disappointing. Dark horses for the tournament, their batsmen - other than skipper Misbah-ul-Haq - simply haven't turned up. Ryan McLaren's 4-19 finished them off yesterday after Hashim Amla looked back to his fluid best. Misbah's men were so bad that even Lonwano Tsotsobe conceded only 23 from his nine overs! South Africa now meet West Indies to decide who advances to the semis. The former badly missed Dale Steyn in the India match and if he fails to recover for the final group fixture, the supporting cast of seamers will need to be at their best. However, the Windies are so unpredictable and if Chris Gayle finally comes good, no bowler can contain him.

The Aussie-NZ contest could be an interesting one. The green-and-yellows looked a shadow of their former selves against England. The big hitters at the top flopped and the experienced England line-up stood up well to the young Aussie quicks. The Black Caps only just scraped the two points in the Cardiff nailbiter so it's difficult to assess their chances. If the side which gave England a bloody nose a few weeks ago turn up at Edgbaston, they could spring a surprise and send their neighbours home early. Martin Guptill and Shane Watson are potential matchwinners but wickets for Daniel Vettori would make a nice story. His comeback from injury looked premature the other day, while his team-mates were in competitive mode. It's Michael Clarke's current back injury making more of the headlines at the moment and his middle-order stability and leadership which the Aussies miss most. Pup's absence must give New Zealand real confidence of winning the game and proceeding to another tournament semi-final.

India's CT win - a view from the stands

The Champions Trophy has to me been another example of a superfluous tournament, draining the cricketing calendar of spare dates and domestic cricket of the big names. However, with my new home town of Cardiff hosting five of the 2013 tournament's fixtures, I made sure I secured a couple of tickets. As a result I was privileged to have been present at today's opener. Block 29, Row E didn't offer the greatest view ever but good enough to appreciate batting, fielding and bowling of the highest order.

With at least 95% of the spectators supporting India, the atmosphere was amazing, with some dazzling costumes and dodgy drunken dancing and chanting. Once the sun broke through and the cool breeze died down in the afternoon, the weather played its part, too, and the SWALEC-cum-Cardif Wales Stadium looked a picture. The opening ceremony was hardly up to Olympic standards but the local schoolchildren did a grand job with the giant flags, Only Men Aloud did their Welsh vocal heritage proud and the drummers provided rhythm, as they did throughout the match, even if the pseudo Guardsman uniform didn't seem appropriate somehow!

Once South Africa won the toss and Morne Morkel took the ball it became apparent that Dale Steyn had not recovered from injury. Already lacking Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis, India must have been favourites. However, Morkel's short-pitched deliveries were troubling openers Dhawan and Sharma and it was a slow start. However, once the big man gave way to Ryan McLaren, the Indian duo began to play their shots and the run rate built steadily. Before we knew it, the century stand was achieved and first Rohit, then Shikhar reached their 50s.

McLaren made the breakthrough in the 22nd over, but the left-right patrnership of Dhawan and Virat Kohli, so revered by the spectators, continued to make life difficult for seamers and spinners alike. The former stroked some delightful boundaries while Kohli picked up the ones and twos with practised ease. However, 210-1 became 260-5, and Jadeja was accompanying skipper MS Dhoni at the crease. There were more strokes to admire, the orthodox and the more creative, and Tsotsobe and Kleinveldt were carted all over the ground. AB De Villiers was as athletic as ever, but the outfielding was looking particularly tired in the latter stages as India closed the innings on 331-7.

The crowd were rejoicing, already satisfied that the game was theirs. That feeling was reinforced as first Ingram, then the dangerous Amla fell cheaply with the score on 31. However, in contrast to the Indian innings, they set off like a train before it later came off the rails. The stadium atmosphere started to fade and the exuberant optimism waned once De Villiers and Robin Petersen stabilised things and really punished Yadav, Kumar and Ishant Sharma. With the likes of Kohli, Raina and Jadeja patrolling the covers, the Indian fielding was always going to be top-notch but when Petersen was run out for 68, it owed more to farcical running than an expert pick-iup and throw from Jadeja.

Indeed, although AB seemed to be cruising for his 70, the mid-innings collapse smacked of irresponsibility. South Africa were ahead of the required run rate so why did they throw their wickets away. One fan behind me found the dismissals so suspicious he spent the rest of the game telling anyone who'd listen that the match was rigged: "You have not been watching a genuine game of cricket, my friend... the ICC must investigate it for irregular betting...." Well, I sincerely hope this allegation was borne of a little too much beer and brandy rather than clear insight into the twilight world of Asian bookies. De Villiers was out to a mistimed hook, Miller's run out for a duck was a terrible shambles, Duminy was trapped LBW to Jadeja's spin while Du Plessis was caught in the deep. The spin trio of Ashwin, Jadeja and Raina had slowed the run rate significantly and, while McLaren whirled the bat defiantly, the tail was unable to wag. Poor Morkel came out at eleven but, having retired mid-over earlier in the day, he could barely run. Almost all singles were declined, but even McLaren had no chance of scoring 70-odd in boundaries. He was entirely responsible for getting the Saffers past 300 but the game had long passed them by.

So, apart from the handful of SA supporters and the over-suspicious chap in Row F, it turned out to be a highly entertaining start to the Champions Trophy. Maybe it has finally won me over. I have a semi-fnal ticket so I look forward to enjoying more of the same, whoever qualifies to play at Cardiff in two weeks' time. India v England has a certain ring to it, perhaps...

To B or not to B, Ravi's the question

The name Bopara loomed large in the list released by the ECB in respect of the England Champions Trophy squad. The decision to include the Essex man seems to have divided cricket fans and I must admit to sitting on the fence.

There's no denying he has endured a poor start to the County Championship but he is not being picked for a first-class series. On the other hand, selectors have little to go on when it comes to the 50-over format; Ravi hasn't played that type of cricket since his two-ball duck for England against South Africa last September. Mind you, Eoin Morgan suffered exactly the same fate in that match but at least he had a chance to redeem himself in New Zealand earlier this year. His KKR bursts in the IPL should count for little and, let's face it, Bopara has been picked as an all-rounder, not specialist batsman. He has played well before so he deserves a place. The imminent NZ ODIs should allow selectors to observe Bopara, Joe Root, Tim Bresnan and Chris Woakes and pick their men accordingly. The first two are better with bat, the latter with ball, and Morgan may yet keep his place to strengthen the KP-less middle-order.

I would certainly pick Bopara ahead of Luke Wright and, despite his recent Championship displays, Graham Napier but he really does have to perform if he is not to sink into domestic obscurity. It seems reminiscent of the '90s when it was Graeme Hick who was in and out of the England set-up. However, Hick was a far better batsman than Bopara, even if he never quite did himself justice on international duty.

Most of the squad picks itself. Cook, Anderson, Bell, Finn, Swann (if he can curb his childish temper), Broad (ditto) and Trott are undroppable at the moment. Jos Buttler can cement a place in the ODI squad in addition the T20 but Jonny Bairstow is ready to pounce should the Wedmore wonder fail. James Tredwell gets the nod over Danny Briggs or Simon Kerrigan, presumably thanks to his experience and superior batsmanship as much as his spin ability.

Can England win the Champions Trophy? Of course they can, especially on home soil (apart from Cardiff!) However, so can any of the others apart, perhaps, from New Zealand. I'll preview the tournament in more detail nearer the start, and hopefully Ravi Bopara will have played himself in with an opportunity to prove his detractors wrong.