PAK VS RSA - 7th Match, Group B, ICC Champions Trophy, 2017

So, Pakistan have pulled off a Pakistan. South Africa have done a South Africa. Take the rain out of the equation and we had perhaps the closest contest this tournament has seen. One where the ball jagged around, the batsmen hopped around. Not bad for a #1 vs #8 clash. Alas few things in life never change, like South Africa's luck with DLS. I've been Vineet Anantharaman bringing you the action in the company of Sagar Chawla, Raju Peethala, Akshay Maanay, Pradeep Krishnamurthy and Srivathsa. Ta ta!!

AB de Villiers: They bowled pretty well in the first 10-15 overs. We lost a few wickets which put us on the back foot. We came out with a good attitude, but came up short in the end. It was difficult to captain when you do not know when the rain was coming. There were constant talks of rain coming and you couldn't push too hard. Had we known that we were going to play only 27 overs I would have been a lot more attacking. At the end of the day were outplayed by a better team. A few guys built good partnerships around Miller and took us to a decent total in the end. A big game for us against India at The Oval now. We know what is required and need to up our ante. We started off well and know a few areas we need to work on. We'll start off with a fresh slate and need to play well to beat them. The hamstring is okay, felt a little tweak and will check it out tomorrow but doesn't look anything serious.

Sarfraz: It was a very important game for us. Credit would go to the bowlers and the fielders. The bowling was very aggressive and they bowled in the right areas. Steve Rixon was very happy today, not quite the last time around. The fielding was excellent today. We had a very good team meeting and we discussed that all three departments must be good in big ICC trophies. Credit to the players who worked very hard.

Hasan Ali: It was a team effort, the coach gave me a plan and I stuck to my plan. In the earlier game I dropped Yuvraj and he scored big, so the focus was on me to field better. It was raining yesterday and hence did not get a chance for extra fielding drills. It is my first ICC tournament and this trophy (MoM) is very important for me.

Hasan Ali adjudged the Man of the Match for his bowling spell of 8-1-24-3.

STAT dose for the day:
>> First time AB de Villiers has been out for a golden duck in ODI cricket
>> First win for Pakistan in Champions Trophy since their win against India in 2009

What a shame. Seven matches, two washouts, two curtailed contests. Not that the others didn't have bouts of stop-starts with them. Such is life. This had all the ingredients to cook up a nail biter that wasn't to be. If not anything, this tournament has made a certain Duckworth, a certain Lewis and a certain Stern household names. Nevertheless, Pakistan take home two points, something even the most fanatic of supporters wouldn't have anticipated. And they have their bowlers to thank. Hasan and his peaches, Junaid for his yorkers, Imad and Hafeez for the lack of turners. Not to forget Shoaib Malik's lusty blows at the end to ensure the DLS par score firmly remain breached. Morkel's dreamy spell notwithstanding. The rain may have stopped play, but not the presentations. Here they come..

21:45 Local Time, 20:45 GMT, 02:15 IST: Match called off. Pakistan win by 19 runs on the DLS. The umpires seem to have had enough. They seem to have seen enough. A handful of Pakistani supporters have braved it out there to ensure that they witness their side snatching two crucial points. Opens up this group miraculously.

21:30 Local Time, 20:30 GMT, 02:00 IST: We've been telegrammed from England stating that the showers have reduced to a drizzle. Sadly that's not enough to get the players out. Mind you, after it stops and the groundsmen miraculously clean up, we need to have more than three overs to play for a contest to come out of this one. Else, Pakistan are ahead..56 minutes to go

21:05 Local Time, 20:05 GMT, 01:35 IST: After all the tea and the comforts of the heater, the umpires have braved their way out and were chatting with the groundsmen. Nothing to suggest that play could resume anytime soon though. The first point of check, the rains haven't had enough of solving Birmingham's water issues. We've ventured into the territory of losing overs and would keep losing an over from now every four minutes..

Atul Kumar Singh: "So, can we talk about Morkel's bowling spell today?" Sure, great stuff. Pace, bounce, movement .. looked a league above the rest to be honest

Subhash Chandra: "What do i need to make my comment appear on Cricbuzz?" Being a media baron does it

20:50 Local Time, 19:50 GMT, 01:20 IST: The host broadcasters have finally decided to show us what the ground looks like. And it is as discouraging as it gets - with the square covers stretching close to the cover boundaries on either side. Here's a birdie from Tristan telling us just that - 'No change in the weather. The ground staff are continually removing water from the covers so that we can get back on as quickly as possible in the event that the rain does stop (which was not done at The Oval on Monday night), but the forecast suggests that their efforts are likely to be futile.'

20:40 Local Time: If anything the rain only seems to have gotten heavier. Having said that both teams would've wanted a crack out in the middle. Pakistan with the hope to un-dent their net run-rate that took a real thrashing against India and South Africa with the hope of Pakistan showcasing one of their famed collapses.

Manoj: "Can we please get updates more often? Have been constantly refreshing cricbuzz since the past 20 minutes, without many updates..." 01:02:01am IST: Rain, 01:02:02am IST: Rain, 01:02:03am IST: Rain .... Things we do for our users

NKO: "What is the cut-off time to start reducing overs?" 20.56 local time, 01.26 IST

Faisal: "Its quite funny. There's no rain when England has a match. Illuminati confirmed." Robert Langdon is on the case

20:15 Local Time, 19:15 GMT, 00:45 IST: The app that predicted showers to touchdown when they did, now confirms it to be in for the long haul. Long enough to go past our already delayed bed times. Images coming in from Birmingham show the groundsmen busy at work, driving their super soppers all over the sheets they've laid out. A few drainage pipes embedded as well. Some suction on heavy duty. ** Snooze **

Well if the bowling in this match under the seaming conditions was getting you to forgive the ICC for their inspired scheduling - the wait for the action to begin is sure to get you to question at least the logic. But we sure have nothing better to do till 22.26 local time. Gear up for some ranting. Our spy from the ground, Tristan Holme confirms the rain having set in for the long haul..

Hemant Mittal: One thing that is more consistent than Virat Kohli is rain in England.

19.41 local time: The rain gets a touch too much for the umpires to deal with. Marching orders sent. Rain stops play. Well it was coming, the forecasts for a change have got it right. The umbrellas were open for some time. Pakistan 19 runs ahead on the DLS. And they have Malik to thank them for infusing some life into the chase that was threatening to go into the ventilator mode. The hover is out and so are the covers to shield the square. Hang in there..nothing heavy to keep us out for long. For now. Nothing to worry about losing overs as well for the next 75 minutes.

Harsha Bhogle: Pakistan have now crossed the danger phase. Game theirs to lose now. And amidst talk of Pakistan, how poorly have South Africa played this!

Rabada to Babar Azam, FOUR, oh the grace. An overcooked delivery - the outcome of the yorker going wrong and spanked down the ground..all with a straight bat presented to get it past the bowler..and the players walk off

Harsha Bhogle: Seem to remember Morne Morkel bowling a mean yorker while at Delhi Daredevils.

Rabada to Babar Azam, no run, wants a wide. Has to make his peace with a bouncer for the over. Sliding down leg but with Azam's moves across the stumps, the line is forgiven

Rabada to Babar Azam, no run, on the fuller side. A squeeze out cum drill to mid-off

The rain has picked up considerably. Pakistan way ahead on the DLS. Please don't tell me South Africa have to deal with another rain affected, DL inspired loss in a world tourney

Rabada to Babar Azam, no run, no damage done. The free-hit neutralized by a shortened length climbing and hurrying onto Azam for the pull to take the under half of the bat to mid-wicket