Bopara. How many more times?

I agree, but if he's hitting runs and is in form, why not??

Seen it all before.

Point proved today!!

Lolstralia!

(yes it's just a warm-up and a 15-a-side mess, but even so...)

If they had been allowed to bat and field with 15, they might have made a game of it

All starts in earnest today. Dhoni addressing the press yesterday said how good it was to be in England. He was in Cardiff. Mind, Indian cricket has bigger issues than that...
So, Lolstralia in disarray, Saffers could be missing Steyn and ABdV. Where's yer money?

Saffers getting the choke in early. Comedy diamond duck for David Miller.

Why he kept running I do not know.

Bit of a drubbing really.

What are New Zealand doing?

Very nearly spaffing up an eminently gettable total. What a strange but utterly compelling game.
Dilshan and Mahela both in bother for excessive appealing - that did get a bit silly at times. Some of the umpiring was beyond useless as well, the decision to give Vettori out and the one to give Southee not out the worst ones. But I suppose all that combined to produce a gripping spectacle, so should we complain that much?

Australia dropping Warner means their tail now starts at 2.

Hang on... "A physical altercation with Joe Root"? Pick your battles, eh? What did he do after that - kick a puppy and chuck a sack full of kittens in the canal?

After all that, Lolstralia probably have enough for NZ here.

Like I was saying, Ravi-Bop has to play.


ahem

So it's England's turn to get on the end of a Saffer choke?

So what's the tiebreak process when the other semi-final is rained off without a ball being bowled in Cardiff then?

The team that finished higher in their group progresses if it's a washout.

If the final is similarly affected, the trophy is shared.

Unhappy compromises all round.

Wow. What a start by England.

The choke strikes again! Just hope England don't let them off the hook now and let them get to 180/200 all out. 120 is the most they should be looking at from now from an England POV

Batting suddenly looks quite easy. Mind, we all knew that Miller could give it a thump

56 off 51 balls. Spot the honorary Yorkie.

Best get St Johns Ambulance on standby to perform some Heimlichs on England's batting.

Tailor-made for Trott, that. Comprehensive stuff.

Wizzing down in Cardiff. Unless there's enough of a window for a late-afternoon 20-over thrash, it'll be India.
Not that the forecast for Sunday in Birmingham is too cracking...

No reserve day for the final of a major ICC tournament, because England want to play two meaningless T20 cash-cows against New Zealand next week.

Bonkers.