South Africa beat Australia by 10 runs: Cricket World Cup 2019 – as it happened

Last modified: 09: 09 PM GMT+0

David Warner’s century was not enough as Australia were unable to chase down a total of 325 for six and must now play England in the semi-finals

Geoff Lemon on Warner's duel with Rabada

Tanya Aldred's match report

That’s it from me. The big news from Old Trafford is that Australia will travel to Birmingham to play England on Thursday, India now en route to Manchester for the first semi-final against New Zealand on Tuesday. We’ll be back with the OBO tomorrow for the Women’s Ashes clash from Canterbury. Until then... goodnight!

Faf du Plessis talks. He wanted his team to go home with a small smile and they have. Cites van der Dussen is a great example for young players out there if you are struggling to get it away early you need to hang in there. Says it shows maturity from him. Mark Nicholas is thrilled about a slap he played down the ground off Pat Cummins and Faf is too. A word for JP Duminy and Imran Tahir as champion human beings. Well done, Faf. Class as always from the Proteas’ captain.

Blimey, what an evening. Warner, brilliant. Carey, even better. Khawaja, in major strife with his hamstring. Stoinis, quite possibly in just as much trouble with a side strain. For South Africa, Imran Tahir and JP Duminy leave the field in this format for their country for the final time and leave as winners. Rabada did it early and late, Phehlukwayo held his nerve. Faf du Plessis in the player of the match.

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SOUTH AFRICA WIN BY 10 RUNS! AUSTRALIA ALL-OUT 315! WICKET! (Lyon c Markram b Phehlukwayo 3)

The No 11 holes out to deep midwicket from the penultimate ball. A fine victory by the Protreas after an eventful run chase. Australia will play England in the second semi-final at Edgbaston on Thursday! WHOA!

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IS BEHRENDORFF RUN OUT? Stand by! He isn’t. NOT OUT! Play on! Australia need 12 from the final three balls, having added a most unlikely three to begin the 50th.

49th over: Australia 308-9 (Behrendorff 5, Lyon 2) Target 326. Outstanding death bowling by Rabada. He’s left Australia 18 to get from the last over. Phehlukwayo, who picked up the important wicket of Cummins just as Australia got on a roll, to bowl it.

WICKET! Starc b Rabada 16 (Australia 306-9)

BOWLED! He’s bent back middle stump! Starc did what he had to, trying to pop the length ball over long-on, but he missed and his opposing number hit.

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WICKET! Khawaja b Rabada 18 (Australia 301-8)

Khawaja ramps perfectly from well outside off stump... but it is on to his leg stump! He could not have timed that any better from outside the tram tracks; it was a certain boundary had it not collected the stumps en route. 25 off 11 needed.

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48th over: Australia 301-7 (Starc 16, Khawaja 18) Target 326. Khawaja tries to ramp Morris and it comes off the outside edge, somehow, to third man. They all have a good laugh. Less so the bowler when Starc smacks him 81 metres over long-on for SIX! Back in the slot, Starc goes over his head for four more! Your move, Faf. He gets Starc off strike with one to deep point, Khawaja on strike for the final two balls as the sun finally goes back behind the stand. And he plays a brilliant clip off his pads into the gap for another boundary! One more to come in the expensive over, Khawaja digs it out for one to keep the strike. 17 from the over! They need 25 from 12 balls! Surely Australia can’t do this with a bloke on one leg?!

47th over: Australia 284-7 (Starc 5, Khawaja 12) Target 326. Khawaja can’t get Rabada away when it is in his half - or a couple of low full tosses - but he can help a bouncer on the way, hooking over short fine for four. With 42 from 18 balls needed, I can’t imagine a scenario where he will risk doing any more damage to that hammy. Watching the close up camera, he is grimmacing between overs.

46th over: Australia 277-7 (Starc 4, Khawaja 6) Target 326. Well played, Chris Morris. He’s done plenty right in this tournament without much reward but this over has probably won it for the Proteas - just three singles coming after claiming the key wicket of Carey. Instructively, Khawaja declines a sharp single, suggesting that if they are any chance it has to be in boundaries. They need 49 in 24 balls.

WICKET! Carey c Markram b Morris 85 (Australia 275-7)

Morris has got him! Carey slices, it’s high in the air and Markram takes a fine catch running in off the deep point rope! The end of a brilliant 69-ball innings from the South Aussie. That should be that for South Africa. Khawaja walking out to resume his innings.

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45th over: Australia 274-6 (Carey 85, Starc 1) Target 326. Excellent over of slower balls from Phehlukwayo, repaying the faith showed in him by du Plessis. Interestingly, it is Starc joining Carey rather than the injured Khawaja. We are told that he sustained the hamstring strain when batting, not fielding.

“A quick question, and I just joined the OBO and so do not know if this has been asked and answered already,” starts Archishman “Who would the typical England supporter prefer to face in the semis? Australia or India? Does anyone know?”

Surely that’s Australia? Especially given the injuries sustained today.

WICKET! Cummins c Duminy b Phehlukwayo 9 (Australia 272-6)

Cummins hits the all-rounder hiiiiigh in the air off the top edge and Duminy takes the safe chance at long-off. The main man, Carey, is still there but he’s running out of reliable partners.

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44th over: Australia 269-5 (Carey 83, Cummins 8) Target 326. Tandem legspinners in the final ten overs of an ODI! Brilliant scenes for lovers of the craft. Shamsi is less effective this time around though, unlucky not to win Carey’s wicket off an edge that runs away for four but culpable for letting the left-hander free his arms in the slot, slow-swept like Steve Waugh in this corresponding fixture (sort of!) in 1999. All told, 12 from it. They need 57 from 36 balls.

43rd over: Australia 257-5 (Carey 72, Cummins 7) Target 326. Told you! Cummins backs himself against Tahir, nailing him over cover. Carey’s turn and he goes better again HUGE over long on for SIX! And again, he directs to the other side of the ground, flat-batting four more to long off. Supreme timing! 17 off it. The battle for (staying in) Manchester has some sting left in it yet!

42nd over: Australia 240-5 (Carey 60, Cummins 2) Target 326. Outstanding over from Shamsi, back into the attack and going for just two singles, Carey to third man and Cummins down the ground. He has 0/48 from his eight so far but with the exception of one, he’s been frugal and dangerous. Keep him on, Faf! Jarrod Kimber notes on radio that Cummins was up at No7 in the Big Bash a couple of years ago and did well enough to win a Man of the Match gong on the basis of his biffing. Somewhere, he has the skills to do this alongside Carey.

41st over: Australia 236-5 (Carey 58, Cummins 1) Target 326. With Carey there is hope for the Australians. He is taking on Tahir, down the track for two to begin down the ground with mid-off up then launching over his head to finish! Nine from the over, which is just short of what they need in every over in this final stretch. And despite Cummins’ troubles of late with the blade, he can hit a ball.

40th over: Australia 227-5 (Carey 50, Cummins 0) Target 326. A wicket maiden in the 40th over! How about that! Cummins cannot get Pretorious away. A magnificent over at a crucial time. Australia need 99 from the final ten.

WICKET! Warner c Morris b Pretorious 112 (Australia 227-5)

From nowhere! THE BIG WICKET! Warner tries to clear mid-on after running the pitch but he’s caught by a diving Chris Morris.

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Carey to 50!

39th over: Australia 227-4 (Warner 122, Carey 50) Target 326. Carey to 50 with a clever shot, steering over third man for another four. Rabada has been brought back but it hasn’t worked. He has only two overs left. They need a wicket urgently.

@collinsadam Warner seems quite intent on avoiding a meeting with England and Joe Root in Birmingham, location of their Walkabout contretemps a few years back!

— John Dalby (@snoopjohnd) July 6, 2019

I’m very much up for writing up the history of that incident before Thursday.

38th over: Australia 220-4 (Warner 121, Carey 45) Target 326. Morris still has four overs left to get through, which Warner will like the sound of. But they do show him a fraction more respect after the big over against Shamsi, satisfied with the singles on offer out to the sweepers. The fourth of those rasied the 100 partnership between these two, in just 83 balls. But they need 106 more in 72.

Don't worry Joe, nobody will relaise you're reading off Cue Cards pic.twitter.com/5ioEBYD9ES

— Nick Toovey (@tooves) July 6, 2019


37th over: Australia 215-4 (Warner 118, Carey 43) Target 326. They are having a real pop now, Shamsi under pressure for the first time so far today. They go bang, bang, bang here - Carey smashing a long-hop, Warner pulling behind square then lofting over cover for back to back boundaries. 16 from the over. “Never have we seen a team fight so hard to stay in Manchester,” quips Bharat Sundaresan on radio. 111 from 78 balls is an equation Warner and Carey won’t be daunted by.

36th over: Australia 199-4 (Warner 109, Carey 36) Target 326. Watching Warner’s ton celebration back, he really gave it big. More than usual. Perhaps it means a touch more against South Africa? I’m sure we’ll ask him later. He goes again from the first ball of Morris’ fresh over, hammering him back over his head! He’s getting better and better the longer he is there. What could halt him? Injury. Or cramp. There’s something giving him trouble, causing him to signal to the dressing room. Probably cramp. Time for some of that pickle juice they so enjoy.

“Is this the World Cup with the highest number of injuries to players during the tournament and at nets?” asks Anand Kumar. “Dont remember reading about do many net session injuries.” Better than pre-play football injuries. Actually, I shouldn’t say that as I really enjoy watching England play their games before play.

35th over: Australia 191-4 (Warner 102, Carey 35) Target 326. Carey is going stroke for stroke with Warner, jumping down at Tahir’s first ball and driving over mid-off for his fifth four. Warner’s turn, who is denied another four himself only by the stumps at the non-strikers’ end. They now need 135 from 90 balls.

Warner to 100!

34th over: Australia 183-4 (Warner 101, Carey 29) Target 326. What a wonderful way to bring it up, a perfect late cut through the cordon for four. His ton is up from an even 100 balls. Even if Australia don’t get up here, what form this opener is in. From the ball before he struck another four off Morris to move to 97 off his hip with ease. Put it this way: if Warner is still batting in an hour, they probably win.

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33rd over: Australia 174-4 (Warner 93, Carey 28) Target 326. CRUNCH! Warner gets a full toss from Tahir, back into the attack, and gives it the treatment through cover to move into the 90s. Carey’s turn and he looks like he might have given a return catch but the replay confirms it is a bump ball. Drinks are on the field

“Is Khawaja going to be able to bat?” asks Aleksei Vasilev. “And with Stoinis too injured, does this mean Handscomb and Mitch Marsh will now play the semifinal? If Khawaja is gone, I say parachute Matty Wade in.”

All of that could happen. There’s a lot going on in camp Australian, all of a sudden.

32nd over: Australia 167-4 (Warner 88, Carey 26) Target 326. Carey is flying now. He’s such a clever cricketer, laying his base before going at the bowling. Against Duminy, the sixth bowler for South Africa, he cuts late and perfectly behind point for four. Later in the set, he punishes an overpitched delivery through cover for another. They are keeping the required rate below nine. Now to keep it there.

31st over: Australia 157-4 (Warner 88, Carey 17) Target 326. Shot, Alex. That’s a gem of a stroke, timed off the pads what gap there is on the legside, racing away. Make no mistake, he’s been Australia’s find of the comp. Warner is less convincing with another top edge, this time landing just beyond the man on the 45.

“Evening Adam.” Hello, Damian Clarke. “There I was, in the garden, evening sunshine dappling onto my deckchair through the leaves of the oak, gently dozing to the commentary on the DAB. Lovely. Then, two doors down, the party starts, with a Liam Gallagher impressionist screeching out at nearly 150dB on the PA. So I’ve retreated to my safe room in the basement to join you on OBO. Sanity slowly returning.”

You’ve made a good decision. I wonder when the Cricketarist will bust out Everlong tonight? I cracked the code about two weeks ago: they play this the moment the decision is made that the game, as a contest, is over.

Breathe out, so I can breathe you in...

30th over: Australia 148-4 (Warner 84, Carey 12) Target 326. Clever from Warner, reversing his hands to access the territory behind point for a boundary. We should never forget that he still has all of those tricks. Carey is happy enough playing himself in with singles for now but they’ll have to put the foot down soon.

29th over: Australia 141-4 (Warner 78, Carey 11) Target 326. Warner nearly caught by van der Dussen running back with the flight at mid-off! Shamsi creates the error, the opener miscuing high in the air. He stuck out a hand but didn’t quite have the reach. Earlier in the over, Carey nearly gave a catch back to the spinner as well. Shamsi remains dangerous in over over where he is used.

“The absolute ‘bantz’ if England get knocked out of their own World Cup due to inclement weather,” replies Digvijay Yadav about the prospect of Edgbaston’s semi getting rained out. They do have spare days for the semi, it’s worth noting

28th over: Australia 136-4 (Warner 74, Carey 10) Target 326. Five more risk-free singles down the ground off Duminy. We’re yet to get an update on Stoinis from CA’s media officer. As soon as that comes through, I’ll let you know.

27th over: Australia 131-4 (Warner 71, Carey 8) Target 326. Spin twins! Shamsi does take over at the Jimmy End. They are more comfortable against him this time around, hitting the sweepers and rotating the strike for five. Australia now require 8.5 runs an over. Alternatively: they require 200-odd from Warner.

“People question whether Marcus Stoinis justifies his spot in a top-line outfit,” says Nick Toovey, “but one aspect where he leads the world is the disappointed/angry look at himself. He truly is world class at letting everybody know that he really is better than what he has just produced.”

He also has down the skill of balancing his helmet on the back of his head as he walks from the field. That can’t be easy. It has been written (by Vish, once of this parish, from memory) that England’s players always wear their helmets all the way to the dressing room to prevent an unflattering shot being taken of them.

26th over: Australia 126-4 (Warner 69, Carey 5) Target 326. A bit strange that Shamsi was taken off with Warner so obviously struggling against him. We’ll see if he is swung around next up. Instead, it JP Duminy now with his off-breaks for now, operating from the broadcast end in this his final ODI. It works a treat to begin, going for just one down the ground, Carey defending the rest.

25th over: Australia 125-4 (Warner 68, Carey 5) Target 326. I’m surprised that Carey wasn’t elevated ahead of Stoinis and Maxwell given how he is going but he’s out there now at No7 with plenty of overs still in this game for him. First up, the ‘keeper is beaten by Rabada, squaring him up a treat. But he gets a chance to play a cover drive - his best shot - later in the set, making no mistake.

WICKET! Maxwell c de Kock b Rabada 12 (Australia 119-4)

Urrrgh, Maxwell out just as he was against England off an edge behind from a pull/hook gone wrong, de Kock pouching an easy chance. Bringing Rabada on to him has worked a treat. He never looked at ease out there today.

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24th over: Australia 119-3 (Warner 67, Maxwell 12) Target 326. Maxwell isn’t in control here, his inside edge used to begin from Shamsi. Later in the over, they’re up for leg before against Warner but it is heading down leg and they don’t review.

23rd over: Australia 116-3 (Warner 66, Maxwell 10) Target 326. Rabada is back, which is a logical move from Faf given the way Maxwell has been out in the competition so far. Even Justin Langer issued some concern about the Victorian against genuine pace. Sure enough, he beats him twice to begin. The first comes off the inside edge, not far at all from the woodwork, the next sailing past the outside edge with the bat a fair way from his body. Maxwell does get a couple with a neat steer down to third man, which will be good for the confidence. He keeps the strike with one to cover. His strike rate in the tournament is 195.

22nd over: Australia 113-3 (Warner 66, Maxwell 7) Target 326. Shamsi is well in the game early in this spell, both batsmen only taking the single to long off on offer. Warner is well beaten by the last delivery, a genuine edge spitting through first slip for four. Not a bad matchup with the left-arm wrist spinner against the opener.

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21st over: Australia 107-3 (Warner 61, Maxwell 6) Target 326. A poor over from Phehlukwayo to begin, Maxwell getting the chance to free his arms to smash through midwicket to the rope. Don’t bowl there to him. Oh, he does again to Warner, who puts away a second half-tracker. South Africa are in control but they need a decent shift from their all-rounder with these two batting together.

20th over: Australia 97-3 (Warner 56, Maxwell 1) Target 326. Thanks, Geoff, for stepping in as the super sub. What an unfortunate bit of running, Stoinis unable to dive due to the side strain injury he is so clearly carrying. He was very glum walking off in front of my position - he looks to be in big trouble for the semi. Shamsi now for his first over of left-arm wrist spin, Warner trying to force him away through the off-side but unable to beat the field through the first four balls, two singles to finish through cover. An excellent start from the second spinner.

“If I’ve understood the rules correctly,” says Phillip Mallett, “Australia may have good reason to want to play at Edgbaston, given the forecast for rain on Thursday and Friday, since if the game is cancelled they surely go through to the final as the higher placed team?”

Gosh, there is a bit going on all of a sudden, isn’t there? How about this: if the game today is a tie, Australia will leapfrog India on Net Run Rate. That would be... well, controversial. Such a turn of events would definitely get NRR scrapped forever.

19th over: Australia 95-3 (Warner 55, Maxwell 0) Target 326. Tahir slips after a good over in the 16th. He bowls a full toss and Warner punishes it through midwicket. Easy. But then the run-out comes, and Maxwell comes in. Carefully. Blots out the over.

Adam Collins is back. Alley-oop.

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WICKET! Stoinis run out de Kock 22 (Australia 95-3)

That is an incredible piece of wicketkeeping from Quentin de Kock! Rabada has botched two previous run-outs but this time he’s involved with a successful one. Warner knocks Tahir away for a single and takes off. Stoinis isn’t fully fit and struggles. Rabada tries to throw down the stumps from midwicket and is just offline, but instead of taking the ball as it bounces near his left leg, de Kock stretches down his left hand and redirects it behind himself onto the stumps. No-look deflection. And Stoinis is short by a few inches.

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Half century! David Warner 50 from 58 balls

17th over: Australia 91-2 (Warner 51, Stoinis 22) Target 326. Warner drives straight for one, and there’s his milestone. There are some jeers but more cheers from the stands. “I even saw a South African applauding!” says Jim Maxwell on the wireless. A couple more singles, then Stoinis gets a leg-side gift and swivels on his back leg to pull it fine for four. The partnership is worth 58 now.

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17th over: Australia 84-2 (Warner 49, Stoinis 17) Target 326. Tahir is back. A couple of leg breaks, a couple of googlies, off his long curved run. From the far end it almost looks like he’s running at right angles to the wicket. Warner just knocks a couple of singles, gauging the risk.

16th over: Australia 81-2 (Warner 47, Stoinis 16) Target 326. Chris Morris in from the broadcast end and Warner pulls him for six! Lined it up, Warner, and got it a bit up and down but lobbed it comfortably into the crowd on the short side of the ground. Warner is having to fire up in the absence of his senior teammates. Drinks.

“Given the history between these sides in world cups happening in England, a tie is always on the cards. So, does NRR decide the final standings as India and Aus will end up with same number of wins?” Hello Anand. It’ll be NRR indeed if that’s the case.

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15th over: Australia 72-2 (Warner 39, Stoinis 15) Target 326. Pretorious pitches up, Warner just lofts the straight drive casually over the bowler, and it bounces away for four down the ground. Chip shot with a bit of sauce. Stoinis gets the strike after a single, and he’s determined to play everything off the back foot. He does so again, for an on-side drive! Outstanding technique. Back-foot punch through wide long-on for four. You don’t see many of those.

14th over: Australia 63-2 (Warner 34, Stoinis 11) Target 326. Morris is bowling full, but the batsmen keep finding the field. Just a single to Warner from the over.

“Australia not looking like a team that’s too concerned at the prospect of a trip to Edgbaston on Thursday?” asks Brian Withington. I’m sure England would rather play Australia at Edgbaston than Lord’s. And Australia would have two more days to get their injury niggles right.

13th over: Australia 62-2 (Warner 33, Stoinis 11) Target 326. I said cheerio very blithely before, didn’t I? Now I’m back. When they sentence you to seven years hard labour on the OBO, they mean it. So a half-hobbled Stoinis and a counter-punching Warner are doing their best. Pretorius gives Stoinis exactly the length that he wants so he can punch off the back foot instead of striding forward. Four through point. Warner slashes four of his own off the top edge, fine third man.

12th over: Australia 51-2 (Warner 28, Stoinis 6) Target 326. Morris, who has had some very good days with the ball in this tournament, replaces the excellent Rabada. Warner enjoys the shift, smashing a loose first delivery off the back foot through point for four. The new man responds well, beating Warner with one that cuts away. Into his channel, Warner plays out the rest respectfully.

I’m returning to radio for half an hour, Geoff Lemon jumping back into the chair in my place. Keep him company at geoff.lemon@theguardian.com. Back shortly.

11th over: Australia 47-2 (Warner 24, Stoinis 6) Target 326. George Dobell makes an interesting point on the radio: if Khawaja’s hamstring problem is a strain rather than a tear, losing here buys him two extra days. A fascinating little twist this Australian tale seems to be taking here at Old Trafford. Three singles taken off Pretorious, all through the legside. Will Faf stick with Rabada for another?

10th over: Australia 44-2 (Warner 23, Stoinis 4) Target 326. Between overs, two things happen. One, a Mexican Wave. Two, Marcus Stoinis swallows a couple of tablets. That’s the third time we’ve seen the medicos out in the middle during this power play. They are truly up against it here now. Then again, this is precisely what Warner loves. He’ll probably make 212 not out. Don’t doubt it. The opener is out of the frying pan from the first Rabada ball with one to square leg. Can Stoinis get off the mark? He can, with a gorgeous drive on the up through extra cover.

9th over: Australia 39-2 (Warner 22, Stoinis 0) Target 326. Pretorious jags back at Stoinis, hitting his inside edge. The all-rounder plays out the rest, coninuing the process of getting his eye in. He’s yet to score off nine deliveries so far.

@collinsadam do you know whether Australia will get the Tuesday or Thursday semi? Presume first placing get the Tuesday?

— Shannyn Jeffreys (@ShannynJeffreys) July 6, 2019

Now that India have done the job over Sri Lanka, I can confirm that if Australia lose, they will play England in Birmingham on Thursday. Deary me.

8th over: Australia 38-2 (Warner 22, Stoinis 0) Target 326. Back to Rabada versus Warner at the Statham End, which is proper BOX OFFICE. The quick finds his top edge pulling but fine leg is inside the ring so the ball falls safe! Just 10 metres inside the rope in front of the big red corporate box, rolling over the rope. He takes one to mid-on from the next ball to calm things down a tad and put Stoinis into the firing line for one delivery, the all-rounder defending it off the back foot.

7th over: Australia 33-2 (Warner 17, Stoinis 0) Target 326. Fantastic decision from Warner to advise Smith not to review, umpires call coming up on the TV technology, the ball just hitting the balls after just striking in line. Meanwhile, it’s Marcus Stoinis into the middle during the power play. As Jarrod Kimber notes on the SEN radio call, he made his name as an early-overs slugger but rarely gets a chance in the first ten these days. Then again, that’s not his role today. I wonder how close they were to sending Alex Carey out to join Warner? Australia in strife.

WICKET! Smith lbw b Pretorious 7 (Australia 33-2)

Smith is given out lbw from Pretorious’ second ball! It looks high and potentially hitting outside the line even, so he consults Warner... but the opener has advised him to keep walking. Can’t wait to see the restrospective technology on this one!

6th over: Australia 29-1 (Warner 17, Smith 3) Target 326. I tell you what, lucky that the Australia ‘A’ squad are out here with Pete Handscomb ready to be pulled off the bench for the semi-final if Khawaja’s injury is a serious one. We didn’t pick up anything at the ground during the fielding innings. We have asked the CA media officer what the situation is, who replies that it is a “hamstring strain” that is “currently being assessed.” Back in the middle, WARNER SMACKS RABADA FOR SIX OVER MIDWICKET! As you do! Slapped more than pulled. Compelling scenes!

Brian Withington is worried that I’m leaving the OBO full stop. Not at all! I’ll be with you throughout the Ashes, both women and men. I love you guys.

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Usman Khawaja retires hurt!

5th over: Australia 20-1 (Warner 10, Smith 0) Target 326. Tahir into his third off the top. It doesn’t take long for Khawaja to employ the reverse sweep, but picks out backward pont. He plays the conventional version of it next, into the deep for one. Hold on, at the end of that single Khawaja has called for the physio. He has RETIRED HURT! That left thigh he was strapping? Steve Smith is out there now, Warner playing out the couple of remaining deliveries. Big news, this.

4th over: Australia 18-1 (Warner 10, Khawaja 5) Target 326. Between overs, the medical staff are out with Khawaja, who is having his thigh restrapped. He’s only been out there for a few balls. Slightly odd, but play on. Rabada’s turn again and Warner is after him straight away, smashing the fast bowler off a length over cover for four. Shot. Sure enough, Rabada responds with a rapid bouncer. It says 142kph on the clock but forget that, this was quick with both of Warner’s feet off the ground swaying out the way as the ball went past his grille. Exiting cricket, this.

“Ahhh South Africa,” emails Paul Rice. “Always raise their game against the “abrasive” Australian side. I wonder if Mr de Kock will have a few words for Mr Warner? Where was this batting performance in the last matches.”

I strongly doubt it, to answer your first question. I’m certain both players are very happy to put that incident from Durban last year behind them. And yes, you’re right, I am plugging a piece of mine from 18 months ago.

3rd over: Australia 13-1 (Warner 5, Khawaja 5) Target 326. Make no mistake, Australia are under all sorts of pressure here. Yes, they have been certain starters in the semi-finals for 11 days and had the last week off, but if they can’t stick the landing on their group stage today, they have to move to Birmingham for a semi-final against England on Thursday. Both in terms of the logistics of moving and the opposition - New Zealand the alternative if they get up - this is serious stuff. Khawaja is off the mark with one to square leg then back on strike for the final delivery, which he duly hits down the ground with authority for a boundary.

WICKET! Finch c b Tahir 3 (Australia 5-1)

RUN IMRAN TAHIR, RUN! He sets off for a 100m dash with Finch giving catching practice off the back foot to Markram. Wickets don’t come easier than that.

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2nd over: Australia 5-0 (Warner 2, Finch 3) Target 326. Rabada is on and from his first ball Finch is playing well away from his body down to third man, no more than ten metres away from landing in the pouch of the fielder placed there. Warner’s turn, and he’s playing and missing. Singles follow to mid-off and square leg before Rabada cuts Warner in half. That’s a fantastic over of fast bowling. This is a nervous start from the Australians.


1st over: Australia 2-0 (Warner 1, Finch 1) Target 326. Rabada should have ran Warner out! From the third ball, the left-hander took off after clipping to short fine leg but Finch said NO and rightly so. Had the throw been to his end rather than back to Tahir, it would have surely been curtains for Warner on zero. He’s off strike next ball down to mid-off, Finch then getting his first run to square leg.

Australia begin their chase of 326

The players are back on the field. Duminy and Tahir lead out South Africa in front of me, arm in arm, for the final innings of the ODI careers. A nice moment. And Tahir will be opening the attack with his leg spin; David Warner on strike. PLAY!

Thanks, Geoff. I come to you slightly gutted that Rassie van der Dussen didn’t make it three maiden tons in the final week from the game’s young guns, Avishka Fernando and Nicholas Pooran saluting for the first time in this World Cup. What looks certain is that the South African number has a fine career ahead of him.

One small query, though. Not about his batting but his treatment. Twice he was hit on the head by bouncers. The first of those, via Pat Cummins, was flush on the front of the lid. When the medical staff walked out to the middle, they were sent straight off by Umpire Dharmasena. Now, I know that RVDD didn’t appear worried but surely he has to be given the once over before continuing? Anyway - I’m glad he was not only fine but in outstanding nick in those final ten overs.

This is my final OBO stint of the World Cup and it has been a wonderful experience talking to you throughout. Keep me company. Let’s have some fun.

Australia will chase 326 to win

If nothing else, this will be a good workout for Australia’s batting ahead of the finals. They’ve had a difficult time recently, with Shaun Marsh badly injured in the nets and Glenn Maxwell recovering. They made a real hash of their big chase against India at The Oval, and they were pretty ordinary in chasing a small total against Afghanistan. They’ll have to do well today if they want to keep top spot, because India are romping past Sri Lanka in Leeds.

South African fans meanwhile will be a combination of delighted and frustrated, wondering where this kind of batting was earlier in the tournament. But the question is also where were these surfaces. This one looks lovely for batting, lots of even bounce and the ability to play through the line.

But at least this has been a good top-order performance, starting with the openers who got off to a flyer, then du Plessis and van der Dussen bringing it home. Australia have firepower, they might do this in a canter with Aaron Finch in the form of his life and David Warner a reliable foil. But it will be interesting to see how they approach it.

An email question from Ruth Purdue: “Now you’re in my home city, what’s your favourite ground in the World Cup, apart from Lord’s?” It may be heresy but I’m not all that big on Lord’s. For me it’s a tie between Old Trafford and Edgbaston. The semi-final venues. Looking forward to both those games.

We’ll take a few minutes for a breather, then Adam Collins will handle innings two. Please direct your love and appreciation to him. Cheerio.

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50th over: South Africa 325-6 (Phehlukwayo 4) Well, there was drama in the sub-plot with van der Dussen pulling a single first ball. Phehlukwayo got a full wide on and carved it away for four while probably just looking for a single, but hit it too well. He missed the next ball, but van der Dussen ran as soon as Cummins released it, and got through for a bye. Rassie then flicked two runs to midwicket and made it back for the second, but Cummins got through the batsman next ball, hitting his helmet and lobbing away to leg. They could have got a leg bye but didn’t go for it. Final ball of the day, van der Dussen had to go for it. He ends on 95 from 97 balls, and made up beautifully for a slow start.

WICKET! van der Dussen c Maxwell b Cummins 95 (South Africa 325-6)

He falls short! Goes for the glory shot from the final ball, pulling Cummins and striking it well, but not well enough to the long side. Maxwell is lurking back on the rope and doesn’t drop outfield catches.

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49th over: South Africa 317-5 (van der Dussen 92, Phehlukwayo 0) Starc finishes his work for the day without bowling his full ten, which you wouldn’t have believed four hours ago. He was no good early but he found his way late. He does have his 25th and 26th wickets for the tournament, and he does continue his streak of taking a wicket in every match he’s played here. That last spell was still going at 93 or 94 miles an hour, and still very full aside from the odd deliberate short ball. Phehlukwayo keeps out the final ball of the over, another fine yorker that bounces over his stumps after the squeezing defensive shot, and van der Dussen will have strike next over.

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WICKET! Pretorius b Starc 2 (South Africa 317-5)

He’s had a dirty day, but he’s cleaning up at the end. Finally Starc gets the line right, nice and full, a bit of reverse tweaking the line off straight, and Pretorius tries to go across the ball as so many have done before in the milliseconds before their doom. Zing go the bails, boys, clip clip clip.

48th over: South Africa 313-4 (van der Dussen 90, Pretorius 1) Cummins to bowl, btu starts with a wide. The gamble on a short batting line-up has worked for South Africa, with Pretorius listed too high at No6 but not having to come out until the 47th over. Rassie van der Dussen nearly runs himself out trying to get the strike back, coming too far down as Pretorius hits straight to Smith at cover. But Smith’s throw misses, and gives away a run, allowing van der Dussen the chance to pull Pat Cummins for six! Huge, over the long side of the ground. The pitch is off-centre today, so it’s a lot closer to the western edge than the eastern. But van der Dussen defies the advice of the Pet Shop Boys and goes east.

He... dussen van der listen to anyone.

Cummins tries to bounce him again but it’s too high, and then the batsman pulls the next ball for four! This has been outstanding since his difficult start. He dinks two into the leg side by not hitting it too hard, then works a single to keep strike. One of the best bowlers in the biz goes for 16, South Africa go past 300, van der Dussen has a chance at a century to match his captain’s. Standing ovation to that man in green.

47th over: South Africa 297-4 (van der Dussen 77, Pretorius 0) The next batsman to the crease is Dwayne Pre- Pre-, Pretorius, Pretorius.

Non-striker’s end, as van der Dussen pulls two runs from the last ball.

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WICKET! Duminy c Stoinis b Starc 15 (South Africa 295-4)

Starc gets a late consolation. Great catch from Stoinis, running in from long on. Duminy had to go for it, pulling the short ball but toe-ending it a bit probably, for it to go quite straight but into the hands.

The umpires are getting a replay to check the catch, but it’s fine. Stoinis was coming in and around a bit, dived forward, got his hand under the ball. The crowd don’t like it and give it a boo, assuming that it must have bounced, but that’s just silly because it clearly landed on his fingers first. Lots of those replays are vague, but this one was clear.

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46th over: South Africa 290-3 (van der Dussen 73, Duminy 11) Maxwell to bowl out, but Finch might have gone to the well once too often. Duminy only has one job, and he does it, crouching low to smear with a flat bat through cover for four. Really reached for it and got enough. Pulls a single, then van der Dussen opens his stance and blasts it straight for six! Imperious. Maxwell starts trying to bowl roundarm to confuse Rassie, who clips a brace, then a single, for the over to cost 14. Maxwell ends with 10 overs, 0-57.

45th over: South Africa 276-3 (van der Dussen 64, Duminy 6) Starc is back. He’s battled today, with suggestions that he’s got a sore knee. But he’s landing his length right finally, in the yorker stage of the day. The line isn’t perfect but the full balls at least make it hard to score more than singles. Five from the over.

44th over: South Africa 271-3 (van der Dussen 62, Duminy 3) Lyon’s day is done, with 2-53 from his ten overs, and Maxwell is back with a couple of overs left up his sleeve. He bowls as well as ever, five singles and a wide, and has got through nine overs conceding 43. What will South Africa decide is enough? Just getting to 300 should be the main priority, to put that chasing pressure on.

WICKET! du Plessis c Starc b Behrendorff 100 (South Africa 265-3)

43rd over: South Africa 265-3 (van der Dussen 60) Brilliant running from du Plessis to start the over. The very second that he turns Behrendroff off his pads he is sprinting, head down, never doubting that he’ll come back as the ball runs softly towards the midwicket fielder charging in from the deep. They make it back for the second. He’s on 99... and drives to long off for his hundred! It’s his 12th overall, and his third fastest. But he won’t go past that score – after van der Dussen sweeps the fast man into a gap behind square leg for four, then turns the strike over again, du Plessis gets a short ball that he has to go for, gets a thick top edge and it lobs up to short third man where Starc is waiting.

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42nd over: South Africa 257-2 (du Plessis 97, van der Dussen 55) A classic of the genre: du Plessis slowing up a bit as he approaches a century. A few dots from Lyon before Faf gets off strike. But his partner makes up for it by reverse-lapping Lyon for four.

Romeo is hoping for a South African win “because if I wanted England to win the
thing, I’d rather they played Australia at Edgbaston, where they’ve won
6 out of 11 ODIs between the two with two no-results. At Lord’s, Australia have won 9 out of 15 with one tied and as I remember they’ve always done very well at Lord’s, at least since the Massie Test I was lucky enough to go to.”

Half century! Rassie van der Dussen 50 from 69 balls

41st over: South Africa 251-2 (du Plessis 96, van der Dussen 51) Ten overs to go. Teams can get 100 from the last 10 if they’re going well. But it almost starts terribly for South Africa, with van der Dussen nearly run out. He walks at Behrendorff, punches to mid-off and runs with the shot. Finch gathers and flicks at the stumps, hitting direct. It looks very much like the batsman is out. But the replay shows that his sprint from the second he hit the ball saved him. He dives full length, and just gets the toe of the bat into his ground before the stumps light up. And that’s the 50th run for van der Dussen. Six from the over in the end including a brace for du Plessis.

40th over: South Africa 245-2 (du Plessis 92, van der Dussen 49) Cummins decides to try bowling properly short, and it works. Rassie van der Dussen gets a lucky top edge for one, then bails out of another pull, then misses a third. Four singles from the over, a tidy one for an Australian seamer for once.

39th over: South Africa 241-2 (du Plessis 90, van der Dussen 47) What a shot from van der Dussen! He’s not late to the party; he’s been at the part for ages, he’s just been sitting in the corner sulking and not talking to anyone. But suddenly he’s jumped on the floor with a fresh repertoire of moves from Breakdance II: Electric Boogaloo. He walks at Behrendorff, arrives at the ball, then whips it off his pads and high over square leg for six. That was... attractive. Unsettlingly so.

38th over: South Africa 231-2 (du Plessis 88, van der Dussen 39) They’ve obviously got a policy of more caution against spin in this innings. Again, I wonder where Smith has been, or even Finch, and Lyon’s last two overs. Maxwell gets through another for four singles, and has conceded 37 from 48 balls even with that six last over.

37th over: South Africa 227-2 (du Plessis 86, van der Dussen 37) Behrendorff hasn’t been seen since the 13th over, but here he is at last. He’s tight on the stumps, and they only manage a couple of singles from the first few balls. This will not stand, decides Faf du Plessis. Gets a ball back of a length and muscles it past mid-on for four. Airborne but straight enough, the short-arm jab, not timed but with Finch up in the circle it goes for four anyway. The next ball, fuller, gives Faf the chance for a fuller swing, and he gets a cleaner lofted connection for four more! These two are not slowing down.

36th over: South Africa 217-2 (du Plessis 77, van der Dussen 36) Away we go for six more! Maxwell has been going at 4 runs per over to this point, but his seventh over may have been one too many. Van der Dussen hasn’t looked great today, and he’s still going slowly, but he’s tried to lift the rate there, skipping down to launch Maxwell straight and high. That was a big one. Nine from the over with some singles.

35th over: South Africa 208-2 (du Plessis 75, van der Dussen 29) The frontliners are being hit alright! Lyon comes back on for Cummins, and du Plessis drops to one knee and plants him over midwicket for six more. Right out of the middle again, that sounded lush. Singles, ten from the over, the 200 up with 90 balls to go. South Africa don’t bat deep in meaningful terms but their all-rounders can hit. They could be on for a really big one today. Drinks.

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34th over: South Africa 198-2 (du Plessis 68, van der Dussen 26) Maxwell for his sixth, and again it’s five runs. Singles, a two when deep backward square is slow to get around. So the frontliners are being hit and the support bowlers are having the quiet time.

33rd over: South Africa 193-2 (du Plessis 65, van der Dussen 24) Faf du Plessis has a lot of respect for Pat Cummins. I interviewed him after the Test series last year and quoted some of it in my book.

“He’s an exceptional player. We would sit on the side of the field and just admire what he does. We’d say, ‘Look at the guy, he’s still running in and bowling quick.’ Diving at balls when he’s just finished an eight-over spell, runs in the series. As a batter I definitely felt he was the biggest challenge. He’s a nice guy, Pat. You enjoy it when nice guys do well, even opposition, the good people of the game. We’re looking forward to having a beer now with the Australian team.”

And now in Manchester, Faf advances and smashes Cummins straight for six! That’s how much he likes Cummins today. Walks down at one of the fastest in the world and hits him dead straight, onto the black shade cloth covering the seats at the Pavilion end. The ball rolls back down the slope. Then du Plessis hangs back and hacks through cover with an angled bat as he did earlier, for another four.

32nd over: South Africa 179-2 (du Plessis 53, van der Dussen 24) Maxwell burgles another over for four singles. He’ll be out the laundry window before you know it.

Half century! Faf du Plessis 50 from 54 balls

31st over: South Africa 175-2 (du Plessis 51, van der Dussen 22) Mitchell Starc is down on his haunches for a moment here, looking discomfited. An injury to him would be quite literally the last thing Australia would want, even if he’s been off the boil today. Rassie hands the strike over to Faf, who drives a single to raise his minor milestone. Excellent innings at just about a run a ball. Five from the over with a few singles and a leg bye.

30th over: South Africa 170-2 (du Plessis 49, van der Dussen 20) Maxwell zips through another over for three singles. He’s loving this, just 14 from his 24 balls so far. Steal another couple and he will have had a great day even before he bats.

29th over: South Africa 167-2 (du Plessis 48, van der Dussen 18) That’s just rude from du Plessis! Starc returns, all is quiet, no wides, an early single. The South African captain plays out four balls with due respect and care. Then the last ball of the over, he camps on the back foot and flays through cover for four! Back-foot punch with an angled blade and a flourish after the stroke, just beating the field.

On the slow-mo replay, Faf is a picture: lime-green shirt, hot pink gloves, forearms like knotted rope. I hope he doesn’t retire.

28th over: South Africa 162-2 (du Plessis 44, van der Dussen 17) Faf is running the doubles like an American barkeep. Taking Maxwell through square leg, then through point. Hustling back. Five from the over thanks to a Rassie single first ball, managing to actually drive a spinner for a risk-free run. He’s much happier against pace, clearly.

27th over: South Africa 157-2 (du Plessis 40, van der Dussen 16) Stoinis gets a lot of wickets with the short ball, and Rassie nearly becomes another one but doesn’t hit his pull well enough to reach deep square leg. He does drive a full toss through cover for four.

“Hi Geoff,” emails John Barnes. “I was surprised that there was rain about earlier today and thought I’d take a look at Edgbaston for Thursday. Er, looks like there might not be a game even with a reserve day! What happens in that case? Does the higher team go through or is it head to heads? Christ I hope there’s a game. I can see England being bundled out because of the bloody weather.”

John, I knew that no one would have read the entire 88-page playing conditions document except for Alison Mitchell of the BBC, so I asked her. She’s confirmed that an abandoned semi-final will be awarded to the higher team on the table, and an abandoned final means a shared trophy.

Cut it in half, I guess? Your team won the W r d u and ours won the o l C p?

26th over: South Africa 148-2 (du Plessis 38, van der Dussen 9) Maxwell gets through a quiet over for four runs. They’ll want to be a bit more proactive against Maxwell, I would have thought.

25th over: South Africa 144-2 (du Plessis 35, van der Dussen 8) Stoinis with his medium pace, and the batsmen are happy to work him around. Ones and twos, a wide for a bouncer. If only Markram were still out there, he was exquisite to watch today. Nothing gold can stay.

24th over: South Africa 136-2 (du Plessis 31, van der Dussen 5) There you have it! Rassie looking desperate, sees Maxwell the part-time off-spinner bowling and wants to crash him for six. Comes down, beaten on the outside edge by a quicker ball, and it’s a missed stumping. The ball crashed into Carey, maybe his wrists or his chest even with some bounce and pace, but there was no nick on it. The gloveman should have taken that, unfortunately. Maxwell is playing today being smashed on the arm by Starc in the same net session where Cummins broke Shaun Marsh’s arm. But Maxwell has come good. Three singles from his over.

23rd over: South Africa 133-2 (du Plessis 29, van der Dussen 4) It’s fifth-bowler time. Finch has decided he needs some from his second liners, so Maxwell is warming up while Stoinis comes on to bowl. A quiet over as the batsmen have a look at him, just a couple of singles. They’ve got some latitude to take their time, and van der Dussen has looked scratchy all day.

22nd over: South Africa 131-2 (du Plessis 28, van der Dussen 3) Lyon very nearly gets through another tight over, two runs and a leg bye, but from the last ball du Plessis comes forward and drives him through cover for four. Top shot. South Africa need those sort of strokes, to make sure their early initiative doesn’t drift away.

21st over: South Africa 124-2 (du Plessis 23, van der Dussen 3) Cummins has hit van der Dussen! Flush on the helmet with a short ball. Rassie tried to hook and missed, very late on the shot. There’s a curious lack of response. The batsman just shakes his head and carries on. The bowler just turns and walks back. The medical staff don’t appear. They try to come on at the end of the over but the batsman waves them back. Surely they have to at least check him? That was solid contact to the side of the head.

20th over: South Africa 122-2 (du Plessis 22, van der Dussen 2) Faf drives a single from Lyon’s first ball, but after that the spinner is all over van der Dussen. He nearly yorks the batsman at one stage, and Rassie is very uncomfortable and is entirely engaged in just keeping Lyon out. Five dot balls.

19th over: South Africa 121-2 (du Plessis 21, van der Dussen 2) Cummins starting to get some assistance from the wicket as the ball wears, which is curious. He nips one back in to van der Dussen that nearly cleans up the stumps. Du Plessis isn’t sure about the pace of Cummins’ short balls, either, lumping a couple away towards point for a two and then a three, but not with any conviction.

“Up in Leeds, Geoff. We win at Northernness,” emails Jon Millard. “Yes, yes, complete massacre on the Football, before of them points that out. And the music, to be fair. And rain...”

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18th over: South Africa 115-2 (du Plessis 16, van der Dussen 1) There’s what Lyon brings to the team. The quicks all get belted, the track looks lovely for batting, the outfield is lightning, and he says give the ball to me, I’ll sort this out. Brakes on. Both openers gone. Rassie van der Dussen is next out, right-handed as is Faf du Plessis. Lyon flights the ball to Rassie immediately.

Updated

WICKET! De Kock c Starc b Lyon 52 (South Africa 114-2)

Lyon again! De Kock wants to take him down, and goes for a huge hoy over the leg side. Spin, takes the outside edge after straightening from around the wicket, and the ball goes high and drops comfortably into the hands of Starc at backward point around about the fielding circle line.

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17th over: South Africa 112-1 (de Kock 51, du Plessis 15) Here’s fun, Steve Smith is going to bowl. He took a wicket against New Zealand, with Colin de Grandhomme punting the first ball he’d faced from Smith to long-off. Smith starts, not really short but on leg stump and de Kock almost does the splits to get low enough to pull that ball regardless, and hits it well for four.

“Hang on, I thought Ashley Giles was the King of Spain?” writes Andrew Thomas regarding El Rey. I don’t know what El Rey is El Rey of. El Rey of Sunshine, perhaps?

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16th over: South Africa 107-1 (de Kock 46, du Plessis 15) De Kock doesn’t want to let the momentum shift. He drops to one knee facing Lyon and plays a scoop shot fine for four. Well timed. Drinks.

“Monitoring the excellent coverage from a damp and rainy Sydney,” writes Jonothan Holt. “Query for you. If a fielder hits the stumps with a direct throw they get the run out credit – all good. However if the fielder’s throw is gathered by the wicketkeeper who breaks the stumps why is it still the fielder’s credit and not the wicketkeepers? Seems a bit unfair (as an ex-keeper myself!)”

As far as I know there’s no formal credit for run-outs in basic stats archives. You’ll find a record of catches but not run-outs. Which has always seemed weird. But where you see them listed on scorecards, there’s a fair bit of latitude for interpretation. I’ve seen plenty listed as fielder/keeper both, and some listed with three players where there’s a relay throw. But those scorecard entries don’t correlate to a stats column as far as I know. Individual databases like CricViz are the ones who’ve started tracking fielding involvement in more detail.

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15th over: South Africa 102-1 (de Kock 41, du Plessis 15) Back comes Starc. Can he get his game together this time around? Well, he doesn’t bowl five wides. Instead his line is sufficiently improved that it clips the pad and goes for four leg byes instead. Marginal gains? Again he over-corrects with width, and du Plessis drives square for four. “I have to say, the Aussies are rather going around the park,” says Jonathan Agnew on the BBC, definitely not at all like someone who might be finding the sight enjoyable. Here’s another for him, as du Plessis drives through extra cover for four! Top shot. Starc has 0-34 from four overs, and South Africa have their hundred up.

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14th over: South Africa 90-1 (de Kock 41, du Plessis 7) Inside edged past the stumps! De Kock is nearly bowled as Lyon bowls around the wicket and angles in towards the left-hander. Survives. They milk the spinner rather than attacking now.

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13th over: South Africa 84-1 (de Kock 38, du Plessis 4) Some calm returns to the field of play. Du Plessis chops a short ball through cover and gets three, as Cummins tippy-toes inside the rope trying not to kick it as he saves. Sri Lanka have reached 267 at Headingley, with Angelo Mathews making a hundred.

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12th over: South Africa 80-1 (de Kock 37, du Plessis 1) Well, you wonder whether Markram’s slight tentativeness in the last couple of overs brought his undoing. He’d been so positive and assured before that, and if he’d come down to that ball or gone back to attack it, he might have defused it.

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WICKET! Markram st Carey b Lyon 34 (South Africa 79-1)

Against the run of play, Nathan Lyon does the trick! Sure, he’s been hit for six, but he’s held his nerve. Flights the ball again in this over, draws Markram forward and dips it on him. Markram’s back foot is dragged an inch out of his ground, and there’s no way to get back before Carey has the bails off. The third umpire confirms a clear-cut call.

Updated

11th over: South Africa 78-0 (Markram 34, de Kock 36) Australia finally gets out of the first ten overs. Runs ahoy. Cummins to de Markram, who knocks a single, then de Kock who flicks three runs. Cummins bowls a wide way over Markram’s head. Then the batsman is defending up on his toes. I think Markram has made the assessment that they’re off to a wonderful start, and he just wants to rein it in now and make sure he doesn’t play one shot too many. Tries to glide past backward point but Maxwell is too fast.

“I am backing Proteas to get a result today when it least matters most,” writes John Norris. “Sure they haven’t really clicked, but you should know more than most that past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance, Geoff.”

Ha. That’s a sly reference to the Final Word podcast which has been running through the World Cup. Emma John’s Guardian podcast The Spin has been a lot of fun as well.

10th over: South Africa 73-0 (Markram 33, de Kock 33) Behrendorff bowls and Markram misses and is hit on the thigh pad. Then gets tangled in his next shot. Then hits the next to cover. Three dot balls, what is this? Straight to point. Four dot balls. Fielded by the bowler. Five! Could this be a maiden? No, a single from the last ball. But a good comeback from Behrendorff.

9th over: South Africa 72-0 (Markram 32, de Kock 33) De Kock is going stroke for stroke with Markram now, and passes his teammate’s score by cutting another boundary from Cummins. Crisp again.

8th over: South Africa 66-0 (Markram 32, de Kock 27) Lyon for his second over, and Markram skips down and drives him for six! Over long on, 85 metres into the camera area at ground level. What a knock from Markram already. Then he dinks a single, and de Kock pushes another. Lyon darts the ball through, almost bowling inswingers rather than off-breaks. Australia rattled.

“On your point of Hashim Amla possibly playing his last ODI, I wonder if it may well be Faf’s last match as well?” writes Ranjit Unnithan. “His comments at the pre-match presser certainly didn’t exclude the possibility. If so, he will be missed - one of the most underrated cricketers in world cricket! But it certainly looks the end for many - Tahir, Duminy - but possibly Faf, Amla, Steyn and even Ottis?”

Yes, very much an era’s end for South Africa. I think Faf may stay on a bit longer to help ease that transition. But we’ll see.

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7th over: South Africa 57-0 (Markram 25, de Kock 25) Now they get some ballet involved. Cummins bowls his first ball, de Kock smacks a straight drive for four, and Markram at the far end has to do a theatrical spinning fall to get out of the way. I think he was more concerned with not stopping a boundary rather than his own safety, because he twirled to make sure he got no touch, rather than trying to protect himself. It works, and the ball goes straight for four. Then another drive on the up to the cover boundary! What a display of strokeplay! The batsmen have 25 apiece, after Australia donated the first few runs of the day. Seven overs and 57 on the board. Whoosh.

6th over: South Africa 48-0 (Markram 25, de Kock 16) Jim Maxwell is on BBC radio. “This ground, if it didn’t have a boundary, the ball would roll into the North Sea.” Value for shots today. Aaron Finch turns to Nathan Lyon, hoping that spin will slow the South Africans, but Markram produces a perfect straight drive for four.

5th over: South Africa 42-0 (Markram 20, de Kock 15) Now Quinton de Kock is joining the party! Starc serves him up a tray of hors d’oeuvres first up to be fair, and Quinny stuffs himself with a leg glance from the leg stump line. But his next shot isn’t to buffet bowling, its Quinton rushing into the kitchen and seizing a steak off the open flame. Decent length, on the up, but he drives it cleanly through cover nonetheless for four.

4th over: South Africa 34-0 (Markram 20, de Kock 7) Glorious shot from Markram! Behrendorff gives him a bit of width, but there must be been telepathy. Markram clears his front leg early, shuffles to open up the angle for himself, and carves it away for four! Third man is back, but that back-cut beats him easily into the rope. Outstanding. Then Markram hops on the front dog and laces a cover drive for the same result. Those shots were pure Outkast, just so fresh and clean.

3rd over: South Africa 25-0 (Markram 12, de Kock 6) A bit more controlled from Starc this time, clipped for a two and a one by de Kock, and just the one wide this time, well outside off stump this time. Radar still processing, though he produces a good yorker.

2nd over: South Africa 21-0 (Markram 12, de Kock 3) I neglected to mention, apologies, that Hashim Amla is missing after a knock on the knee. I wonder if we’ve seen him play his last ODI for South Africa. The replacement is the left-arm wrist spinner Tabraiz Shamsi, and everyone else shuffles up the order, with the all-rounders Pretorious, Phehlukwayo and Morris starting from No6.

Behrendorff will bowl, left-arm swing from both ends. He’s picked off by de Kock for two off the pads, then one to point, and Markram finishes the over with a cover drive for four. He played a belter against Australia in the Durban Test last year, did Markram, in the fourth innings. All cuts and cover drives. Looking in top touch today.

1st over: South Africa 14-0 (Markram 8, de Kock 0) South Africa score six runs with one ball bowled. Not because Markram has smashed it over the rope, but because Starc bowls five wides, a dot ball, then another wide. He’s bowling fast, 90 miles an hour from the off. But not accurately. When he finally corrects to the off side, Markram drives him on the bounce over point for four, then cuts another four. Quite the start from Starc! Not in a good way.

Anthem time. Who doesn’t love an anthem? With the mascot kids and the players and the big balloon. Some of these kids look relatively old compared to the usual, I wonder how they feel at being made to hold hands with grizzled cricketers. Reeza Hendricks has to take two mascot kids because he’s last in line and someone hasn’t done their maths. It’s all a bit Pied Piper for me. And as someone smarter than me once said, if there’s one lesson from the Pied Piper it’s: pay your freelancers.

Mitchell Starc will have first use of the ball today. If you still need something to fill in your time, here’s a long piece that I wrote in appreciation of his Ben Stokes yorker. This is my highest ever words-per-delivery ratio, by the way.

South Africa win the toss and bat

Cheers for Faf du Plessis, who calls correctly. Bat first, the sensible method. And why not? Australia have only chased twice in this tournament, and they lost to India and were very sluggish against Afghanistan in so doing.

“Should be a great match,” writes El Rey. To those who don’t speak Spanish, The King. Humble chap. “Is a preamble preliminary to an amble?”

I think it’s more of a preliminary amble, Your Grace. That makes sense to me etymologically, because a preamble is an early stroll through a garden of ideas before you get down to the serious labour in the furrows of the main text. An idea is a seed, ready to be planted.

If you want to keep up to date with the India-Sri Lanka match while we wait, Tim de Lisle can take care of you.

Updates from Manchester: there was a smattering of rain earlier this morning, and there’s still some thick cloud and a very humid atmosphere. But there are patches of blue as well and the sun is breaking through here and there. Hopefully we have no interruptions. Both teams are out there warming up at the moment with nets and practice stumps and all kinds of equipment out on the ground, it’s very busy out there with the blue-and-orange shirted ground staff and some broadcasters and security and umpires. High traffic area.

Drop me a line. The usual communication lines are open. Email is good, isn’t it? geoff.lemon@theguardian.com, or on Twitter using @GeoffLemonSport. Hop in.

Preamble

Good morning or other time of day to you all, and welcome to Old Trafford. So much better than New Trafford. (Is there a New Trafford?) It’s the final day of the World Cup group stage. Not to be confused with a finals day, which is when finals will be played. Australia and India will both play on this final day and a subsequent finals day, but South Africa and Sri Lanka will play today but no further. India and Sri Lanka are playing right now down in Leeds (up in Leeds? Sideways in Leeds?) and then Australia v South Africa will start at 13:30 local British time.

There’s still a bit to play for, for the finalists. If Australia win, they get to chill out here in Manchester before their semi-final, then have a couple more days to relax before the final should they qualify. If Australia lose and India win, India will go top of the table and get the Manchester semi, which will be against the theoretically easier opponent New Zealand rather than England in Birmingham. Plenty to play for then.

As for South Africa, they’ve had a miserable tournament, and there’s been a fair amount of pillorying and apologising and all that sort of thing, which seems entirely over the top for a sporting event. But at least if they can get a win today, they’ll have a more cheerful note to go home on.

Contributors

Adam Collins (now, at Old Trafford) Geoff Lemon (earlier)

The GuardianTramp

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