Champions Trophy, Feb 19 - March 9

[alfie]

At least this simplifies the equation so there won't be any NRR ******* if England lose to Afghanistan. Lose either game, they're out.

I'm paying very little attention to this tournament as the last 4 is a foregone conclusion, but FWIW, my guess now is England scrape past Afghanistan with an unconvincing performance that still gets hopes up a fraction, then get hammered by South Africa.

Ever the optimist , bfl

How about this : England hammer Afghanistan ; Afghans beat Australia comfortably , and England/SA is washed out ? SA 4 Aust/Eng tied on 3 Afghans 2 ... and all down to NRR...out with the calculators...

Anything can happen with a round ball.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Overton replaced Carse.

[Arthur Crabtree]

England getting stuck in.

[sussexpob]

England getting stuck in.

England Archer getting stuck in...

[Arthur Crabtree]

Taken his sweater now though. Some captains would have left him on.

[sussexpob]

Taken his sweater now though. Some captains would have left him on.

I imagine he turns back into a pumpkin after 5 overs.

[mikesiva]

Zadran gets his half century.

[sussexpob]

4th partnership is rebuilding the innings, but they need to start scoring some runs to put a worthy target on the board

[backfootpunch]

The 3rd seamer issue rearing it's head again as Overton goes round the park in his second spell

With all of Afghanistans spinners anything over 260 will be defendable with englands weakness against spin

And they will be looking at 300 now

[sussexpob]

Zadran playing a blinder. Starts slow, but now accelerating.

Lot is going to come down to wickets. 2 quick wickets and this innings can die out quick, but if these two are still there after the 40 over mark, 250-300 is still on.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Got six cheap overs off Root. It would be so like England if these turn out to be LL's overs, rather than one of the pacemen.

[Arthur Crabtree]

50 partnership off 7 overs.

[sussexpob]

200 up... still 12.4 overs left.

Afghanistan will want to get close to 300

[sussexpob]

Wood get's one toe crushing Yorker in at over 90mph, and the batsman can't get on it.... I want more of that Mark, not this low 80mph off cut nonsense

[sussexpob]

Rashid bowls a good tight over, and Overton follows it up with another.... Azmatullah then takes on the last ball, and only finds the boundary fielder.

Good come back from this pair - checked the Afghanistan advance just as it was getting out of control, and that is a key wicket. 300 a long way off now.