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That’s all from Birmingham. The game has officially been abandoned due to rain. Thanks for joining us through the stops and starts. Until next time, this is Meeth Agrawal and Darpan Tikiya signing off. Goodnight!
9:40 PM local time, 2:10 AM IST | Match Called Off!
That’s it. After multiple inspections and some effort from the ground staff, the match has officially been abandoned due to rain. A disappointing end, especially after a promising contest between England Champions and Australia Champions.
9:30 PM local time, 2:00 AM IST | Inspection Underway! The officials are out in the middle, closely checking for any remaining wet patches and surface dampness, especially around the trouble areas.
9:21 PM local time, 1:51 AM IST | Next Pitch Inspection at 9:30 PM Local Time (2:00 AM IST)
9:18 PM local time, 1:48 AM IST | One of the match officials was seen heading into the England dressing room and having a brief word with captain Eoin Morgan. Not sure what it was about, but it could be regarding the playing conditions or possible restart scenarios.
9:04 PM local time, 1:34 AM IST | There seems to be some concern over a damp patch. The ground staff have now brought out a super sopper to work on that specific area, hoping to get it match-ready soon.
And to keep spirits high during the delay, Brett Lee has been seen signing autographs and engaging with fans near the boundary rope.
8:58 PM local time, 1:28 AM IST | The officials are currently out in the middle inspecting the pitch and outfield. We’ll bring you the official word as soon as it’s in. Stay tuned!
8:34 PM local time, 1:04 AM IST | Update from the ground: There will be a pitch inspection at 8:55 PM local time, which is 1:25 AM IST. Stay tuned as we await official word on a potential restart!
8:21 PM local time, 12:51 AM IST | Both sets of stumps have been erected and two super soppers can be seen working on the outfield. We should have a resumption soon.
8:10 PM local time, 12:40 AM IST | The hover cover is finally off! That giant dome-shaped sheet that shields the pitch in English conditions has been lifted and wheeled away. Fingers crossed we get some play soon!
8:05 PM local time, 12:35 AM IST | Some movement from the members of the grounds crew can be spotted. In fact, just as we type this, they have started peeling the covers off.
7:47 PM local time, 12:17 AM IST | The rain seems to have eased out. It has definitely gotten a bit brighter too. However, the floodlights are still on and the covers firmly in place. We have our fingers crossed.
Here’s how the match has panned out so far… Australia Champions were on top early with the ball. Disciplined stuff in the powerplay had England on the back foot right away. James Vince provided a brief spark with a quickfire cameo, but wickets kept tumbling around him.
Then came the rescue act. Morgan and Bopara steadied things beautifully with a 78-run stand, mixing calm singles with the odd boundary to drag England back into the game. Just when they were ready to launch, Dan Christian struck as Morgan was caught at long-off by Coulter-Nile and right on cue, the rain arrived.
We’ll keep you posted as soon as there’s an update on the restart.
7:27 PM Local Time, 11:57 PM IST: The rain’s getting heavier now. What started as a light drizzle is turning into something more serious. We might be in for a longer delay if this keeps up. Fingers crossed the skies clear up soon.
7:23 PM Local Time, 11:53 PM IST: OH NO! Rain stops play here at Edgbaston. The covers are on. Bit of a momentum killer. Let’s hope it’s just a passing spell and we get a full finish.
17.1 Steve O'Keefe to Ravi Bopara, fires in a full one at the off pole, from around the wicket. Bopara sweeps it to deep midwicket and gets a run.
Steve OKeefe [3.0-0-18-1] comes back into the attack
That was a seriously fine over from Dan Christian. Just when England were eyeing the big push, he sneaks in the breakthrough.
17.0
16.6 Daniel Christian to Ravi Bopara, full and straight — at the off pole. Bunted to long-on for an easy single.
16.5 Daniel Christian to Samit Patel, fuller, outside off, slower than the last one. Patel drove it towards deep cover for a single.
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England Champions
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