India v Sri Lanka: ICC Champions Trophy – live! – The Guardian

Pakistan lived up to every well-worn trope about the mercurial nature of their cricket, delivering a resurgent, prediction-defying performance in the field followed by a tense run chase that felled South Africa via Duckworth-Lewis and kept their Champions Trophy campaign alive.

Sarfraz Ahmed’s side had been written off as no-hopers after their lamentable defeat to India at this ground on Sunday. But as the rain fell in Birmingham and forced the players off at 7.38pm, his batsmen were 119 for three from 27 overs, chasing 220 to win, and 19 runs above the par score of 100, victory was theirs when the match was called off at 9.44pm.

It had followed a gloriously absorbing passage of play in the most compelling contest of this already soggy tournament. Babar Azam’s unbeaten 31 from 51 balls and a similarly watchful 26 from Mohammad Hafeez had battled to keep their side north of the crucial equation in front of a vocal Pakistani crowd and amid the growing mizzle and murk.