Pakistan beat New Zealand on DLS at Cricket World Cup – live reaction

Here is that points table as things stand:

Blows my mind/gives me heavy boots that England can somehow technically still qualify for the semis.

Fakhar Zaman is the player of the match. Thoughts and prayers to Rachin Ravindra who scored his third century of the tournament and to New Zealand’s players in general as they posted over 400 runs but still lost.

Fakhar’s knock really gave the Kiwis the willies, it was an amazing innings made all the more impressive considering he’s only just been drafted into the starting XI. He boshed 126* peppering the boundaries and the stands with eight fours and a nosebleed inducing eleven sixes. Trent Boult was very expensive with the ball at the start of the Pakistan innings and as soon as the spin of Santner, Sodhi and Phillips was called for it was carnage out in the middle, Fakhar clearing the front leg and repeatedly smearing the ball high and long into the Bengalaru night.

Fakhar speaks:

We planned to see off first few overs, I got lucky a few times but really enjoyed this innings. We know that every game is do or die for us. In our team meetings it was decided that we will play aggressively, we are playing with that mind and everybody was trying to score more runs.

“This is one of my best centuries, I will always remember my 193 against South Africa but this is one of my best. We want to continue playing aggressively in our next game.

Match Abandoned – Pakistan win by 21 runs

Still raining in Bengalaru. If that is the case in 40 minutes time then the match will be called for Pakistan.

“This equation doesn’t seem to take into account that they’re chasing 400! One more wicket and they’re cooked.” Says Cole Hunter in the OBO mailbag.

“The DLS allows the chasing team to alter their game to suit the conditions and the bowling team are expected to just ride the wave. Tough but fair…”

True enough Cole, DLS can sometimes make life simpler for the batting side, remember South Africa needing 21 off one ball at Sydney in 1992 though? That was a preeety big ask.

Rain Stops Play (Again)

25th over: Pakistan 199-1 (Zaman 125, Babar 66) Sodhi is launched for six into the stands by Babar Azam, the batter read the googly and murdered it. A single brings Fakhar onto strike. SIX! Fakhar drops to one knee and slogs a monsterous sweep over the leg side boundary. SIX MORE! Same shot and this one even bigger! The sound off the bat echoing around the M Chinaswammy Stadium like a canon shot. Twenty runs off the over, Pakistan flying.

24th over: Pakistan 179-1 (Zaman 112, Babar 59) Boult strays onto Fakhar’s pads and is clipped away for four through midwicket. Boult has been uncharacteristically poor today and has the face of someone in a real huff. His face in a permanent scowl, ‘looking like his top lip has gone bad’ as my old man is wont to say. Seven runs off the over.

23rd over: Pakistan 172-1 (Zaman 107, Babar 57) Ish Sodhi from the other end, he starts with a poor ball – a long-hop that is pounced on by Babar and steered for four to bring up his half century, barely a tilt of the bat. Pakistan’s captain knows there is work to do. Beautiful from Babar! The next ball is flighted and he drives it languidly for four through the covers, holding the pose for good measure. Twelve runs off the over in total, New Zealand need wickets pronto.

22nd over: Pakistan 159-1 (Zaman 106, Babar 47) Here come the players, Trent Boult has three balls left in his fifth over and he starts with… three dots. The rate rises with every one but Pakistan won’t mind this re-adjusted target.

Righto, the numbers have been crunched in Bengalaru:

Nine overs have been lost to the rain so it will be a 41-over chase.

The target for Pakistan is 342. They need 182 runs from 19.3 overs and have nine wickets in hand.

Game on!

In Ahmedabad, Australia have set England a target of 287 runs.

I’m not sure Jos Buttler’s eyes can get more sad but if his side fail to get the runs then England will need to win both of their remaining games to have a chance of qualifying for the next Champions Trophy in 2025.

It’s basically all heading towards the Dutch beating England on Wednesday eh? I can taste it already. Orange Crush.

Collar me, don’t collar me.

There will be an inspection at 6pm local time in Bengalaru, about ten mins from now. The covers are coming off. Exciting.

It lives. It breathes. It walks around. Although, it should be said, with a limp, and a wheeze, and a telling sense of glassiness behind the eyes…

No England team has ever lost so many games at a World Cup. No England team has ever reached the stage of outright tournament bottom-feeders. No England team has ever made the startling nosedive from 50-over champions to one of the worst iterations at any World Cup – and better still done so without any obvious process, warning signs, change of approach, or indeed the slightest clue as to how this could have happened.”

Barney is in Ahmedabad and seemingly in fine fettle for the death knell:

I’m hearing the rain has ceased in Bengalaru, an inspection is imminent. Will bring you news as soon as we get it.

Meanwhile – I’ll forgive you for diving over onto the England v Australia OBO with the excellent pairing of Jonathan and Tanya.

The covers are still on in Bengalaru and the rain is falling lightly.

Sun peeping out here in south London though.

Permutations chat: If New Zealand beat Pakistan today (big if at the moment) then England are categorically OUT. It doesn’t matter if they beat Australia. It’s curtains for Buttler and his men, finally. The sweet release of death.

If Pakistan win then England are somehow still IN if they beat Australia. If Australia beat England then it is curtains for them whatever happens elsewhere.

Got it? Clear as custard.

RAIN STOPS PLAY.

21st over: Pakistan 159-1 (Zaman 106, Babar 47) Seven runs off Glenn Phillips’ over, Fakhar sweeps him for four behind square, he needs to gather and go on here for his side, ten more overs of him in this mood and this game could turn into an absolute epic.

20th over: Pakistan 152-1 (Zaman 101, Babar 44) Shot! A humongous smear into the leg side takes Fakhar to 99… he’s gone into full Ben Stokes BEAST mode here… and that is a HUNDRED FOR FAKHAR ZAMAN!

Off just 64 balls. What a knock! He peels off his helmet, kneels and kisses the pitch. Fantastic scenes. Fakhar is giving Pakistan hope in this World Cup.

19th over: Pakistan 138-1 (Zaman 93, Babar 38) First ball back after drinks and it is a SIX scythed by Fakhar over cover and into the Pakistan dugout! Eleven runs off the over in total – Babar nudging and nurdling and Fakhar going ballistic, he’s into the nineties…

18th over: Pakistan 127-1 (Zaman 85, Babar 35) Cat and mouse stuff between Santner and Fakhar, the spinner wins the over as just two runs are taken off it. Fakhar is itching to smear him away for boundaries but Santner mixes up his length and flight masterfully. Time for a drink – apparently Pakistan are two runs behind where they need to be (129-1) if they were to go off for rain now. I’ll keep a peeper on those clouds and those sums.

17th over: Pakistan 125-1 (Zaman 84, Babar 34) Cripes. Fakhar is on fire with the bat in hand – a huge swipe goes for SIX into the stands over the leg side and back to back fours make it fifteen off the over. Black clouds are building in the skies over over Bengalaru, hmmm I wonder if Pakistan have done their Duckworth Lewis/Stern sums…

16th over: Pakistan 110-1 (Zaman 70, Babar 33) Babar Azam is becalmed, he’s on 33 off 37 balls and is putting a lot of pressure on his partner. Just four singles off Sodhi’s over, something’s gotta/gonna give.

15th over: Pakistan 106-1 (Zaman 68, Babar 31) Carnage! Fakhar Zaman smokes Glenn Phillips for back to back sixes over long on! The second of which was HUUUGE! Fakhar has now hit thirteen sixes in this World Cup and is cutting loose in Bengalaru.

14th over: Pakistan 91-1 (Zaman 54, Babar 30) Ish Sodhi into the attack for New Zealand, Zaman rocks back and glides him for four down to third. Elegance and touch to go with his brute force. Eight off the over and 50 up for Fakhar Zaman, he’s up for this.

13th over: Pakistan 83-1 (Zaman 47, Babar 29) Five off Glenn Phillips’ second over. Ones and twos don’t quite cut the mustard for Pakistan, Babar is a bit becalmed.

12th over: Pakistan 77-1 (Zaman 43, Babar 25) New Zealand putting on a mini-squeeze here, just three runs off Santner’s over sees the run-rate worm start to rear…

A word on Rachin Ravindra – how good has he been in this tournament? If truth be told it hasn’t been a classic World Cup (so far) but Ravindra’s emergence has been a revelation.

11th over: Pakistan 75-1 (Zaman 43, Babar 25) Glenn Phillips into the attack and Zaman can’t get him off the square. Phillips stitches together a maiden – Andy Zaltzman on TMS chirps up to say that is Phillips’ first ever maiden in ODI cricket. So there you go.

10th over: Pakistan 75-1 (Zaman 43, Babar 25) Another SIX to Fakhar Zaman! He shimmies down the pitch and lofts Santner down the ground for a maximum. Eight off the over, 4o more overs like the first ten and Pakistan are home and dry.

9th over: Pakistan 67-1 (Zaman 36, Babar 24) Southee replaces the smited Boult and returns from t’other end. Fakhar whips him through midwicket to pick up four and then clears the front leg to hoick away…up…up and SIX! Just out of reach of the fielder on the boundary. Eleven off the over, Pakistan are ticking.

8th over: Pakistan 56-1 (Zaman 26, Babar 23) Here comes Mitch Santner with his box of tweakers. Two dots to start and then Fakhar nudges to leg to bring Babar on strike. Bosh! Santner drops short and is smeared high and long over cow corner for SIX by Babar. Eight off the over in total, this pair have rocketed to a fifty partnership and Pakistan are up with the run rate.

7th over: Pakistan 48-1 (Zaman 25, Babar 16) Trent Boult has gone for 42 runs off his four overs, I’m pretty sure this is the worst/most expensive opening spell of his ODI career. More on that as we get it.

Fakhar slots his first ball over long-on for SIX! Boult is well out of sorts here, he spears a ball way down leg for a wide. Babar gets a thick edge through the vacant slip region to pick up four and then punches on the front foot to score a boundary off the last ball. Cripes, Trent.

6th over: Pakistan 32-1 (Zaman 18, Babar 8) Three runs off Southee’s over as things calm down a little.

Cockle warmer:

5th over: Pakistan 29-1 (Zaman 17, Babar 7) Now then, SEVENTEEN runs clubbed off Trent Boult’s over as Fakhar opens his shoulders. Boult drops short and is biffed through leg before going too full with the next ball which Fakhar slots behind square for SIX! Audacious shot. A single brings Babar on strike – he picks up a brace through midwicket and then hooks the final ball for four! Boult grimaces and lopes off to lick his wounds.

4th over: Pakistan 12-1 (Zaman 6, Babar 1) A watchful over from Babar and Fakhar, Southee mixes things up with slower balls and cutters. Babar gets off the mark with a clip into the off side and just one more single completes the over.

“An under-the-radar benefit of getting the GOAT back in the side is that catch – NZ have been spilling those sorts of chances left, right and centre in the last 3 games. Top, top quality cricketer.”

Ben Bernards in (snowy?) Sweden emails his appreciation of that catch. Kane still showing he is… able. *GROAN*.

3rd over: Pakistan 10-1 (Zaman 5, Babar 0) Pakistan need every ounce of Babar’s genius today. He’s down the non-strikers end as Boult shimmies in to Fakhar Zaman. Four! A short ball is clobbered through point. Boult shakes his head in disgust and responds with four dots.

WICKET! Shafique c Williamson b Southee 4 (Pakistan 6-1)

1st over: Pakistan 5-0 (Shafique 4, Zaman 0) Here we go then, Trent Boult has the shiny new orb and he’ll be running into Fakhar Zaman and Abdullah Shafique. Pakistan need to get off to a flier, the required run rate is teetering around eight an over. Boult starts with two dots before Shafique flicks the third ball away over mid-wicket for four! Boult responds with an inswinging yorker that Shafique does well to dig out. A wide ball outside off gifts Pakistan another, they need all the help they can get, this would comfortably be their biggest ever ODI chase if they manage to pull it off. Big if. Five off the first over, hangover waning, life is good acceptable!

Scrap that, the drizzle has relented and the rope has been dragged around the outfield – here come the players. First over incoming…

There’s a bit of mizzle in Bengalaru which is delaying Pakistan’s innings getting started. Hopefully won’t be too long before they get underway – those 402 runs aren’t going to get themselves.

Small mercies:

Thanks Rob and hello everyone. Confession time – I’m a teensy bit hungover this morning, too much revelry after Friday night five-a-side footy – there was a lot to unpick. Will a Pakistan run-fest perk me up? Maybe. New Zealand running through Babar Azam’s side like a hot knife through ghee in less than a couple of hours would be… nice.

That’s all from me. Jim Wallace will be along for the runchase (sic), and in the meantime you can follow England v Australia in Ahmedabad. Bye!

Where to start? With Rachin Ravindra, of course. He top-scored with a charming 108, his third century of a never-to-be-forgotten World Cup debut, and added 180 for the second wicket with Kane Williamson in less than 23 overs. Williamson was eye-catchingly fluent on his return, hitting 95 from 79 balls.

That platform allowed the bovver boys in the middle order to cause mayham, and all bar Tom Latham (who faced only two balls) scored at a strike rate of at least 140.

Pakistan’s bowling performance was imperfect, with Shaheen Afridi (10-0-90-0) and Haris Rauf (10-0-85-1) bowling the two most expensive spells in their World Cup history. Hasan Ali went for 82 as well, but the youngster Mohammad Wasim was outstanding and took 3/60.

The pitch is much better than expected, certainly when the quicks are bowling, but it’s hard to see how Pakistan – who have never chased 350 to win an ODI, never mind 400 – can pull this off. Not least because New Zealand have four spinners.

“You say it so casually that it almost hides the bizarreness – that New Zealand have made their highest score ever in a World Cup,” says Nick Parish. “Against Pakistan, in the sub-continent. Consider all the matches they’ve played against Zimbabwe, Ireland, Bangladesh over the years. Not to mention England…”

I think I’m punch-drunk after four weeks of OBOing these run-orgies. Also, in fairness, the way Conway and Ravindra were batting against England, they’d probably have made 500 if necessary.

Pakistan need 402 to stay in the World Cup!

49th over: New Zealand 388-6 (Santner 15, Latham 1) Tom Latham tucks Wasim’s final ball for a single. Wasim, by far the pick of the bowlers, finishes with 10-0-60-3.

WICKET! New Zealand 388-6 (Phillips b Wasim 18)

48th over: New Zealand 376-5 (Phillips 37, Santner 8) Santner is dropped by Salman Ali Agha, a very tough diving chance on the edge of the circle. A hitherto excellent over from Afridi, full of variations, is ruined when Phillips clubs a low full toss over long-on for six.

New Zealand need 18 from 12 balls to make their highest score at a World Cup, and 27 for their highest ODI total.

47th over: New Zealand 366-5 (Phillips 30, Santner 6) Amid the rubble, Pakistan appear to have found one in Mohammad Wasim*. He concludes another fine over – four singles, one two – by beating Phillips for pace.

Pakistan are running over in the field, which means they will be allowed four outside the circle for the last three overs.

* Mind you, I thought the same about Basit Ali in the Caribbean in 1992-93. You rarely know in sport, and you never know when it comes to Pakistan cricket.