ICC Champions Trophy - Semi Final - England v Pakistan, Cardiff

[Titanic]

"Summer has well and truly arrived by the River Taff. A lovely sunny day for the first semi-final. Already a lively atmosphere outside the ground with renditions of 'Dil, Dil Pakistan'. Sounds like they'll be well supported today. We await confirmation of the final XIs"

 

[Titanic]

Captain Morgan is a useless tosser.

Pakistan have inserted.

 

[Titanic]

Bairstow in for Roy... about time too

 

[Titanic]

England:1 Alex Hales, 2 Jonny Bairstow, 3 Joe Root, 4 Eoin Morgan (capt), 5 Ben Stokes, 6 Jos Buttler (wk), 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Adil Rashid, 9 Liam Plunkett, 10 Mark Wood, 11 Jake Ball.

Pakistan: 1 Azhar Ali, 2 Fakhar Zaman, 3 Babar Azam, 4 Mohammad Hafeez, 5 Shoaib Malik, 6 Sarfraz Ahmed (capt, wk), 7 Imad Wasim, 8 Rumman Raees, 9 Shadab Khan, 10 Hasan Ali, 11 Junaid Khan.

Amir has suffered a back spasm and is replaced by Raees, while legspinner Shadab Khan comes in for Faheem Ashraf.

 

[whitelion]

Captain Morgan is a useless tosser.

Pakistan have inserted.

Aye he's a rum fella.

 

[Papa Lazarou]

The Pakistan national anthem is a very jolly tune.

 

[Is it PotG?]

Nice day for it.

 

[Titanic]

Blimey... LBW review against Bairstow 2nd ball... given not out, but looked close....

 

[Titanic]

Umpires call by a few mm... phew!

 

[Titanic]

Hales given out LBW... reviewed... and pitched outside leg

Reviews/decisions are definitely going England's way

24-0 (4 overs)

 

[Papa Lazarou]

Blimey... LBW review against Bairstow 2nd ball... given not out, but looked close....

Even closer that time. phew

 

[Titanic]

Hales gone... driven straight to cover... out for 13.

Rumman Raees has his first ODI wicket.

34-1 (5.5 overs)

 

[Titanic]

England 50-1 (9.4 overs)

Bairstow survives a very stiff chance... pulled to short cow.. tipped over the bar by Azhar (saved 3!)

Strong and stable start.

 

[Titanic]

Bairstow stuffs a short one down square legs throat... gone for 43 from 57 balls

80-2 (16.3 overs) and drinks are being taken (which usually leads to a wicket...)

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Sake Bairstow

 

[Titanic]

Pakistan bowlers Hasan Ali and Mohammad Hafeez have tied Morgan and Root down... just 16 runs from the last 5 overs...

93-2 (20 overs)

 

[Titanic]

England 100-2 (21.4 overs)

Root 35*(41) Morgan 8*(19)

wicket proving to be a bit slower than ideal.... runs not easy to come by... but with wickets in hand, surely England can put a decent total on the board from here?

 

[Triggaaar]

Pakistan bowlers Hasan Ali and Mohammad Hafeez have tied Morgan and Root down... just 16 runs from the last 5 overs...

Not good

 

[Titanic]

Morgan given out... sweeping the leggie Shadab Khan... a bit of bounce... reviewed straight away... glove or forearm??

...and it is clearly forearm... overturned.

119-2 (25.3 overs)

 

[Titanic]

Root gone... airy back foot drive/slash/cut at Shadab, nicks it and easily caught behind for 46

#Shadab-a-dab-a-doo

128-3 (27.3)

It's time for Ben Stokes