The lyrics, 'It's not how you start it's how you finish!' were never more true than today as South Africa suffered a World Cup knock-at the hands out an Inspired Netherlands team. A flurry of boundaries from opener Stephan Myburgh set the Netherlands on their way in an opening partnership of 58 with Max O'Dowd. Tom Cooper kept the momentum going in a 19 ball stay worth 35 (2x4, 2x6). Runs for all four at the top of the order but with 31 added off the final two overs including two Colin Ackerman sixes off Rabada's last, the Netherlands had a total that they would defend. South Africa simply could not get going against the disciplined lines and lengths of the Netherlands attack. Their powerful batting line up all got starts but were held in check and Brandon Glover's three wickets for only nine runs left Bas de Leede and Logan van Beek to hold their nerve bowling the final overs to claim a famous win for the Oranje.

There was an early success for Zimbabwe when Rohit Sharma got a pull off Muzarabani, high on the bat out to Masakadza, well in off the rope at deep square. But India continued to bat aggressively taking 14 off leg-spinner Ryan Burl's first over. The fifty partnership between Rahul and Kohli took only 35 balls and after 10 overs India were well set at 79/1. But suddenly Kohli slapped Williams to long-off and next over Rahul did likewise, having just brought up his 50 with a 6. India needed to start all over again but a 'Pants' shot from Pant didn't help the cause as he slogged Williams to wide long on - a great running diving catch by Burl. Eighteen runs came off Muzarabani in the 16th, 4 leg-byes adding to the three boundaries that Yadav and Pandya plundered off the first five deliveries. Pace not the answer as Ngarava went for 12 in the next, Chatara faring no better with 15 off his. Muzarabani brought up his 50 in the next - in his bowling analysis unfortunately! And 20 off Ngavra's last added insult to injury, 78 runs coming off those last 5 overs of pace. Yadav got to his 50 off 23 balls with outrageous hitting, flicking 6s over the leg side from balls that would have been called Wides. Sean Williams with 2 overs, 2 for 9 might have been the better option? Kumar struck first ball of the reply which started wide, swung wider, and which a flat footed Madhevere pushed tamely to Kohli at short extra. Next over Arshdeep produced the perfect left-armers in swinger to bowl Chakabva and both openers were gone without scoring. Seam had failed Zimbabwe but all four Indian pacemen had already taken wickets when they turned to spin. Ryan Burl and Sikander Raza attacked Ashwin and Patel and added 60 before Burl was bowled, off his pads, by Ashwin who claimed his second, when Mazakadza came down the pitch and got a leading edge to short extra. Ngarava was bowled by a little front of the hand 'slowie' from Ashwin that hit only half way up off-stump - embarrassment all round! And it was over when Raza holed out at midwicket to give Pandya his second and Chatara was caught and bowled by Axar. India’s reward is a semi-final meeting with England in Adelaide on Thursday.

The Netherlands win over South Africa earlier turned this into a knockout encounter and it was Shaheen Shah Afridi who delivered the blows that saw Pakistan into the semi-finals. Bangladesh opted to bat and had moved to 70 after ten overs despite the early loss of Litton Das, thanks to a 51 run partnership between Najmul and Sarkar. But once Shadab Khan took the wicket of Sarkar it was an Afridi blast that removed the middle order. A straightforward catch off Rizwan dropped by keeper Nurul Hassan off the third delivery of Taskin's opening over proved very costly for Bangladesh. A half century opening partnership saw Pakistan on their way before Babar Azaam top edged a slog sweep off Nasum Ahmed to backward point. Rizwan fell immediately to a great gully catch. Mohammad Nawaz was beaten by a direct hit and Pakistan looked nervous but needed just a run-a-ball from the last four overs. A Taksin no-ball and a 6 off the free-hit eased any pressure that there was and even a couple of late wickets could not stop Pakistan claiming the win and a place in the last four, where they will face New Zealand on Wednesday in Sydney.

A poor second half of the Sri Lankan innings enabled a nervous England to stagger to the win that ensured their semi-final place at Australia's expense. An opening blast from Pathun Nissanka saw him get to his half-century off only 33 balls - but when he departed for 67 (45b, 2x4, 5x6) Sri Lanka lost their way completely. At 82/2 after ten overs they managed only 36 in the next five, and only 25 for the loss of 6 wickets in the final five overs. Three wickets for Mark Wood, claiming two in the twentieth, after he had gone for 17 off his first. There was hope for Sri Lanka in that the three England spinners all got some turn, and together their seven overs cost only 37 runs. England were out of the blocks quickly in the reply and posted 70 in the Powerplay, Hales and Buttler in full control. England were 4 runs ahead of Sri Lanka at the 10 over mark, and it was hard to see them doing as poorly as Sri Lanka in the second 10 - but they nearly did! A series of tame dismissals meant that it was left to Ben Stokes to guide England home leaving Sri Lanka rueing that awful second half of their innings - Australia will no doubt be joining them in thinking what might have been.

Australia keep themselves in the World Cup for another day - but as the Duke of Wellington said of Waterloo, ‘It was a damn close run thing!’ Australia had posted 168/8, David Warner showing aggression at the start and with Mitch Marsh added 45 off 30 balls (3X4, 2X6). Australia were well placed at the half way stage of their innings having reached 83/3 and a score pushing up towards 200 looked likely but in the end it took a special innings from Glenn ‘Big Show’ Maxwell to get them to something that in the end proved defendable. He finished 54 not out off only 32 balls (6x4, 2x6) one of only four Australians to reach double figures. The loss of Usman Ghani in the third over of the reply did little to slow down Rahmanullah Gurbaz who hit two fours and two sixes in his 30 run 17 ball stay. After ten overs Afghanistan were 72/2 with Gulbadin Naib and Ibrahim Zadran in the middle of what turned out to be a 59 run partnership. All changed when three wickets fell in an Adam Zampa over - Naib run out by a direct hit from, who else but Maxwell at wide long on. Next ball Zadran top edged a sweep to short fine leg and two balls later his namesake Najibullah Zadran chipped to Maxwell in off the boundary at long off. Nabi holed out in the next over, pulling Hazelwood to deep square. That left Rashid Khan as Afghanistan’s last hope and he almost delivered - his 48 not out off 23 deliveries included three fours and four sixes as he attempted to score the 33 needed off the last two overs but just too many to claim a spectacular win. Australia must rely on Sri Lanka defeating England to stay in the Tournament.

A Josh Little hat-trick halted New Zealand’s charge towards the 200+ total that looked likely as their top order all made runs, having been asked to bat by Ireland. A half-century opening partnership between Finn Allen and Devon Conway got them underway, Adair striking first with the wicket of Allen. Two more wickets for Gareth Delany’s collection, Conway and Glenn Phillips saw New Zealand at 114-3 before a fourth wicket stand of 60 between Kane Williamson and Daryl Mitchell took them to 174. Enter Josh Little who had Williamson caught by Delany before consecutive deliveries accounted for Neesham and Santner, both trapped lbw. A challenging total but Ireland’s reply started well, Stirling and Balbirnie getting to 68 before chopped on a Santner delivery. Stirling swung across a slower Sodhi top-spinner which clipped the top of off stump, and the impetus was lost. The old spinners adage of ‘Slower, Higher, Wider,’ paid more dividends when Tector came down the wicket to Santner only to slice a drive into the gully. With the total at 102/5 in the fifteenth, now it was the fast men’s turn, as Lockie Ferguson claimed Delany and Dockrell leaving Adair and Hand to Southee, all falling to catches in or around the ring. A comfortable win for New Zealand that would have been by a wider margin but for that magic moment from Josh Little.

Great recovery after a poor start by Pakistan saw them post 185. Reduced to 43/4, a fifty two run partnership between Iftikhar Ahmed and Muhammad Nawaz started the recovery. When Nawaz was out Shadad Khan joined Iftikhar and their eighty two run partnership lifted Pakistan to what proved to be a winning total. The South African reply was immediately in trouble, De Kock gone without scoring, as Afridi claimed both him and Rossouw who was caught on the third man boundary. Skipper Temba Bavuma and Aiden Markram were inching their way back into the game and they had added 49 runs when Shadab Khan was thrown the ball. Within three deliveries he effectively won the game - Bavuma steering an edge to the keeper off the first and Markram playing back to the third and bowled. A rain interruption after nine overs caused the match to be reduced to 14 overs and South Africa resumed needing 73 off the remaining 5 overs. Runs came but wickets fell to catches in the deep as the rate climbed, the South African tail unable to cope with the Pakistani pacemen. But it was Shadab Khan who collected the MOM Trophy for his invaluable runs and the wickets of Bavuma and Markran.

The Netherlands decision to leave out spinner Tim Pringle and go with pace paid off handsomely, as Zimbabwe's struggle to get a start in this tournament was again in evidence, losing three wickets in the Powerplay for only 20 runs. Only Sean Williams and Sikandar Raza managed to get into double figures and they added 48, with Raza opting to hit his side out of trouble, his 40 coming off only 24 balls (3x4, 3x6). All five of the Netherlands pacers claimed wickets and there was only one over of spin from Roelof van der Merwe in the innings. In the Netherlands' reply it was Muzarambani who made the breakthrough, Stephan Myburgh not getting on top of the bounce and slicing a drive to Ryan Burl at a deepish Gully. They lost their second, Tom Cooper targeting the short side boundary, pulling Jonge straight to Madhevere. Colin Ackerman chipped Ngarava tamely to mid off, but O'Dowd completed a better than a run-a-ball 50 before attempting to 'uppercut' Muzarabani and was caught at deep point. But only 9 were required at that point and even when Scott Edwards was caught behind it was too little, too late for Zimbabwe, whose 117 was never likely to be enough, even with that long Dutch tail. First win in this Group for the Oranje thanks to that fast bowling performance and of course that Max O'Dowd innings.

Good shots and streaky edges in equal measure at the start of the Indian innings and indeed throughout. Rohit Sharma dropped by Hassan Mahmud at deep square leg but Mahmud made amends in the next over when he cramped Sharma for room and induced him to steer a catch tamely to gully. Strike bowler Taskin bowled all four of his overs straight through - a tidy spell for only 15 runs with no luck whatsoever. KL Rahul played one shot too many, top edging a sweep to short fine leg - 50 off 26 balls, 3 fours, 4 sixes and Yadav almost fell the same way, through the hands! Shakib claimed his second wicket bowling Yadav who scored 30 off only 16 balls. Pandya steered a catch to backward point and they get Karthik run out, sent back as Kohli refused the single and he left giving Kohli the stare. A final flourish from Kohli and Aswin took the total past 180 and likely out of Bangladesh's reach but the reply has started well. Amazing striking by Litton Das with 6x4s and 3x6s in a 21 ball half century. Sixty in the Powerplay - Najmul Hossain with 4 of them!! Rain interrupted the momentum with the loss of four overs. Game changing moment with the loss of Das shortly after the restart - run out at the bowler's end with a direct hit from Rahul in the deep while going for the second. It was always going to be a tough chase and Bangladesh did well to take it so close.

England got off to a powerful start with Hales riding his luck in a first wicket partnership with Joss Buttler of 81, which set a great platform for the second ten overs. Hales completed his half-century but was immediately stumped off a wide from Santner. Buttler was dropped on 40, a straightforward chance at mid wicket by Daryl Mitchell, and it proved to be an expensive one, as he went on to score 73 off 47 balls (7x4, 2x6). Not the start to the chase that New Zealand wanted, both openers gone and a score of 40/2 in the Powerplay. Conway 'strangled' following a Woakes leg side delivery into the hands of Buttler and Finn Allen mistiming a pull to Stokes, well in off the midwicket boundary. Catch held but finger damaged and Stokes forced to leave the field! Moeen Ali didn't risk finger damage as he grassed a 'dolly' at extra cover off Phillips - didn't lay a hand on it! And Phillips made England pay, his 50 coming off 25 in a partnership of 91 which ended when Williamson cut Stokes tamely to short third man. From there it was a lone effort by Phillips whose 62 came off 36 (4x4, 3x6) as wickets fell at the other end and boundaries were increasingly hard to come by, Sam Curran and Chris Woakes doing the job England required of them. Special mention also for Chris (Special Teams) Jordan who England contrived to have on as a substitute fielder and who held two catches at long on at the death. I wonder who he replaced? The next Group 1 games are on Friday when Ireland play New Zealand and Australia play Afghanistan. England face Sri Lanka on Saturday knowing exactly what they will have to do to make the semi-finals.

A perfectly paced chase by Sri Lanka who did not allow themselves to be bogged down against the Afghan spinners. An opening stand of 42 from Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Usman Ghani was as good as it got for Afghanistan, who chose to bat, in what promised to be a battle of the spinners. A decent start but neither went on the play the 'big' innings that was required, indeed no one down the order could either, Gurbaz (28) and Ghani (27) ending as top scorers in the 144 innings total. While officially a 'Leg-spinner' it's the variety of deliveries in MOM Hasaranga's locker that is his biggest weapon, and he claimed 3 wickets for only 13 runs in his four overs, boosted by a brace in the final over of the innings. The Afghan spin pairing of Mujeeb ur Rahman and Rashid Khan removed the Sri Lankan openers Nissanka and Mendis and each picked up a second wicket, but they both proved costly. Dhananjaya de Silva controlled the chase to perfection, keeping the score ticking along, mixing aggression with well placed singles and twos, his 66* coming off only 42 balls with 6x4s and 2x6s. Afghanistan without a win in the group face Australia on Friday, perhaps without Rashid Khan, who hobbled off with the scores tied, picking up a leg/hip/groin injury in a sliding stop on the boundary.

After a scratchy start that could have seen him run out for only 6, Australian skipper Aaron Finch played himself into some form in partnerships of 52 with Mitch Marsh and 70 with Marcus Stoinis. Ireland had started well with Barry McCarthy claiming the wicket of out of touch David Warner with his first delivery, and a second when Marsh edged behind in the ninth over. Australia were 78/2 at the halfway mark, but from there powered on to add another 101 in the second ten overs. Not out of reach would have been the thought as Ireland started the chase. Hopes were quickly dashed however, as five wickets fell for only seven runs - 18/1 becoming 25/5, as Stirling and Tector fell to Glenn Maxwell, and Mitchell Starc removed Campher and Dockrell with identical inswingers, in a double wicket maiden from which there was no way back. This World Cup has featured a number of stunning individual performances and today it was Lorcan Tucker's turn. He scored 71* off 48 deliveries (9x4, 1x6) showing little regard for reputations, at one stage blasting a 6 and 4 of consecutive Hazlewood deliveries, and three boundaries in the next Starc over. Australia would have hoped that their win today would give them a better NRR than England but Tucker ensured that would not happen - Australia claimed the points but it is England who are the beneficiaries from Ireland's performance today.

Raw pace and bounce on show from South Africa and India struggled to cope! Rohit Sharma splicing a return catch to Ngidi who followed it up with three more, KL Rahul steering to slip and Kohli and Pandya not able to control pulls that were both superbly held by Kasigo Rabada down in the deep. Surya Yadav played a dangerous game as he attacked trying to retrieve the situation. He collected a half-century off only 30 balls and ended with 68 off 40 (6x4, 3x6). Parnell returned and forced Karthik to splice a catch high to cover and claimed his second, Ashwin giving Rabada his third catch of the day. Yadav was caught at mid off to give Parnell his third wicket and without his contribution for India it would have been a 'no contest'. India get just the start they wanted in South Africa's reply, de Kock edging Arshdeep's away swinging first ball to second slip - yes - second slip! Rilee Rossouw is lbw to an inswinger as Sharma reviews the 'Not Out' decision and Arshdeep has two in the over. Bavuma moves way outside off and paddles a sweep off Shami to the diving keeper. Could Markran do a Yadav? - He reached 50 off 38 (6x4, 1x6) but fell for 52, caught in the deep off Pandya in a partnership with Miller worth 76. With 25 needed off the last 3 overs the decision to hold back Shami who had bowled 3 overs for 7 backfired as Miller hit Ashwin's first two deliveries for sixes, Ashwin going for 43 in his four overs. Kumar was left to bowl the last trying to defend 6, a gloved boundary over substitute keeper Pant tied the scores and Miller duly smacked the next over cover for the win. A restless night in store for Kohli who dropped a sitter off Markram when he was only 35.

No respite for the Oranje who chose to bat first, as the four Pakistan pacers ripped into them on the quick Perth pitch. Spin from Shadab Khan brought no relief as he claimed wickets with the first deliveries of his first and second overs. Bas de Leede struggled to 6 off 16 deliveries, and that included a boundary, before Haris Rauf struck him on the grill and he left the field with a nasty cut on the cheekbone, never to return. The Dutch have a long tail and it was never going to wag against the extreme pace of Pakistan, two perfect 90mph yorkers removing Pringle and Klassen. It was hard to see them defending such a low total but they had an early success when Babar Azam took on Sean Williams at mid on and was run out by a direct hit at the bowler's end. Fakhar Zaman edged Glover to keeper Edwards to give the Dutch their second but Rizwan's 49 took Pakistan to within ten runs of the win. With the scores tied Brandon Glover had Shan Masood caught at third man to claim his second wicket but another couple of deliveries was all it took for Shadab Khan to pierce the field for the winning boundary. No change to the table as Pakistan register their first win - all eyes now on the second game on the ground as the two unbeaten sides India and South Africa meet.

The most dramatic finish imaginable as Muzarambani needing 5 for victory was stumped off the final delivery - the game was over, the players had left the field, only for a NO BALL to be spotted by TV umpire Chris Gaffaney, keeper Nurul Hasan having taken the ball 'in front of the stumps'! FREE HIT and now only 4 needed to claim an unlikely win - a swing and a miss, a stumping correctly executed and it really was time for Bangladesh to celebrate. Bangladesh had set a total of 150 thanks to Najmul Hossain's 71 (55b 7x4, 1x6), with help along the way from Afif and Shakib, the Zimbabwe pace men Blessing Muzarabani and Richard Ngarva claiming two wickets each. Their chase started badly, with MOM Taskin Ahmed claiming the wickets of both openers in his first two overs. Zimbabwean talisman Sikandar Raza went without scoring and at 35/4 it looked a lost cause for them. Sean Williams 64 (42b 8x4) and Ryan Burl 27* (25b 2x4, 1x6) kept hopes alive with a 63 run partnership for the sixth, but they were always chasing the game. Sixteen were needed off the final over and eleven off three, when Richard Ngarva hit the first 6 of his T20 career! Five off two, a swing, a miss, and a stumping that brought Blessing Muzazambani to the crease for that final dramatic delivery.

Total meltdown in the Sri Lankan top order ended this as a contest - Southee struck in the first over, Trent Boult claimed two in the second and another in his next, and when Mitchell Santner took up the attack, the first ball of spin claimed the fifth with Karunaratne picking out Boult in the midwicket boundary. No way back for them at 24/5, only Rajapaksa with 34 (3x4, 2x6) and skipper Dasun Shanaka 34 (4x4, 1x6) showing any kind of agression. A great recovery by New Zealand after their own disastrous start that saw them 15/3 in four overs. Glenn Phillips and Daryl Mitchell led the salvage operation in a fourth wicket partnership of 84 with Phillips completing a 39 ball half-century, and powering on to a century off 61 balls (10x4, 3X6), The unbeaten Kiwis top the Group 1 table while Sri Lanka stay above Afghanistan by virtue only of their single win over Ireland despite having an inferior NRR to the Afghans.

Rain returned just before the planned 'final' inspection and the umpires called it a day. With the points shared England move into second place in the group on NRR, Ireland dropping to third ahead of Australia in fourth. Monday's clash between Australia and Ireland in sub-tropical Brisbane now very interesting, if indeed it wasn't already.

Disappointing result for both teams, each would have been targeting a win in this one. One of those days where the rain eased enough to raise hopes of a start only for it to return - the sort of day groundstaff dread. You can relive the frustrations by going to the Commentary in our live coverage - plenty there for you to enjoy, if not the cricket.

Choosing to bat first and scoring 47 in the Powerplay for the loss of only two wickets Zimbabwe would have been disappointed with what followed. Indeed at 95/3 with Sean Williams on 31* they would have expected to pass 150 with ease. But in the space of six balls they lost four wickets, 2 to leg-spinner Shadab Khan and 2 to pacer Mohammad Wasim, both with wickets off consecutive balls. From there at 95/7 it was a case of 'get whatever you can', and a 31 run partnership between Brad Evans (19) and Ryan Burl who finished 10* clawed Zimbabwe to their final 130/8. And it was enough - Just!! Pakistan were never ahead in the chase at any stage, and at the 10 over mark were 54/3 and struggling to make any impact on the scoring rate. Only 44 from Shan Masood who added 52 for the 4th wicket with Shadab Khan (17) kept them in with a chance, but when he was brilliantly stumped down the leg side off MOM Sikander Raza, it fell to Mohammad Nawaz and Mohammad Wasim to get Pakistan over the line. 29 needed off the final 18 balls came down to 3 off 3 but a 'dot' then the wicket of Nawaz, and a run-out scrambling for the tieing run left Zimbabwe ecstatic winners by the narrowest of margins.

More impressive batting from India as they racked up 179 against an increasingly tame Netherlands attack. A 37 ball half-century by Sunday's hero Kohli, was made to look pedestrian by Suyakumar Yadav, who galloped to his milestone off 25, getting there with a six off the final ball of the innings, in a van Beek over that cost 17. The Dutch reply never got going, Bhuvneshwar Kumar starting with consecutive maidens, that included the wicket of Vikram Singh, who missed a heave across the line in a nine ball stay that brought just a single. Max O'Dowd threaded three boundaries through the infield but moved way outside off to attempt a sweep off Axar Patel's second delivery and was bowled. Patel and Ravi Ashwin each claimed two middle order wickets and the left arm pace of Arshdeep Singh two in two, in a tame batting display by the Oranje, Tim Pringle, batting at number seven, top scoring with 20 summing up their performance on a day where India were too hot to handle.

After the loss of skipper Temba Bavuma in the first over, a 163 run partnership in 81 balls between Rilee Rosouw (109 off 56, 7x4, 8x6) and Quinton de Kock (63 off 38, 7x4, 3x6) put South Africa strongly in the driving seat at the innings break. Anrich Nortje's double strike in the third over, plus his third with a Rod Tucker lbw howler that Shakib opted not to review, effectively ended Bangladesh's slim hopes. Only Litton Das provided any resistance and when he became left-arm leg-spin spinner Tabraiz Shamsi's third victim the only question was how big the margin of victory would be.

Persistent rain at the Melbourne Cricket Ground meant that the umpires eventually had to abandon the match.

A historic win for Ireland on an historic occasion. A brilliant first ten overs from Ireland saw them reach 92 for the loss of only Paul Stirling. Andy Balbirnie and keeper Lorcan Tucker then added 82 off only 57 deliveries for the second wicket which fell at 103 when Tucker was unluckily run out, a Balbirnie drive deflected onto the stumps by bowler Rashid. But that was as good as it got in Ireland's innings as the rest of the wickets went 'like snow off a ditch'. Extreme pace and leg-spin, the classic recipe for success at the MCG, proved a winner again as Wood and Livingstone claimed three wickets each and Curran two to wrap things up for a 'par' score of 157 that threatened to be twenty or thirty more at one stage. In the England reply Little stuck twice setting England back, and when Fionn Hand produced the ball of the day to remove Stokes with only his first 'legal' delivery, you sensed something special was in prospect. Two dropped catches off Dockrell's first two balls didn't prove costly as Brook holed out off the fifth at deep midwicket. Rain arrived with Moeen Ali trying to hit England ahead of the DLS target to no avail. Rain was forecast, the result was not, but as Eoin Morgan said in his summary - 'Ireland outbatted and outbowled 'us' (quickly corrected to England) on the day, deserved winners.'

A blistering innings of 59* off only 18 deliveries (4x4, 6x6) by Marcus Stoinis rescued a faltering Australian chase to see them to victory with three and a half overs to spare. It was another case of 'needs must' in this tournament that has seen Campher and Dockrell rescue Ireland, and Virat Kohli do the same for India when all seemed lost. The Australians had struggled to get ahead of the rate against the Sri Lanka attack and when Stoinis came to the crease he took the only possible option, and did it pay off. His partnership with a pedestrian Aaron Finch realised 69* off only 4.1 overs as they avoided what could have been a near fatal blow to their title hopes. Sri Lanka had set a more than respectable 157 - Pathun Nissanka with 40 at the top of the order and some lusty blows at the back end from Charith Asalanka but in the end Stoinis made it look woefully inadequate. A day when the bat dominated the ball with no bowler on either side managing more than a single wicket.

This was a 9 over per side match after persistent rain delayed the start. Having chosen to bat, Zimbabwe have taken a rather frantic approach to their innings with Ervine, Raza and Williams making just 3 runs in total, as the innings subsided to 19 for 4. Madhevere and Shumba then batted for the remainder of the innings, with the last 2 overs of the innings producing 32 runs, including five penalty runs when the ball hit de Kock's glove after he had thrown it on the ground. De Kock then dealt Zimbabwe's hopes a deadly blow as he took 23 runs from the first over bowled by Chatara. Rain then interrupted in the second over. The teams returned to the field but the conditions became increasingly farcical for a World Cup match - the umpires stayed on in increasingly heavy rain but eventually appreciated that that the match could not continue.

At the break the Netherlands would have been thinking they'd got a good chance having kept Bangladesh to 144, but two indifferent shots off the first two balls of the chase and two crazy run-outs in the 4th over left the Dutch hopes of a win in tatters at 15/4!! A 44 run partnership between Colin Ackerman and Scott Edwards went some way to retrieving the situation but when Edwards then hit a gentle reverse sweep to cover it was all up for the Dutch. Colin Ackerman with 62 off 48 (6x4, 2x6) played a solo hand trying to manage the strike with the long Dutch tail exposed. A nine run win for Bangladesh in the end, the Netherlands getting closer than expected after that nightmare start to their innings in a game they would have been targeting as a win.

The one that got away! Pakistan's 159 with half centuries from Shan Masood and IIftikhar Ahmed looked to have been enough with India reduced to 31/4 in the chase. However an 113 run partnership between Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya brought India back into the game although when Pandya was out to the first ball of the final over things were still very much in favour of a Pakistan win. A single and a two followed, 13 required off 3 - not the time to bowl a high full toss which was dispatched for six by Kohli followed by 3 byes which ricocheted off the stumps on the Free Hit. A Wide to Kohli and another to Ashwin with the stumping of Karthik in between tied the scores and when Ashwin chipped the final delivery over mid-off it was the cue for wild scenes both on and off the field.

Choosing to bat first, Ireland struggled against the variety of spin that the Sri Lankans have in their armoury. Paul Stirling up front and Harry Tector, who joined him in the fifth over with the score at 26, added 29 for the sixth wicket. Then with Stirling gone it was Tector and Dockrell who added 47 before Dockrell was bowled with the score 107/7. It became a case of 'Après Moi le Déluge' - to quote the Dambuster's squadron motto, as the innings was wrapped up in quick time. Sri Lanka's opening pair Kusal Mendis and Dhananjaya de Silva rattled up half the required total before Delany had de Silva caught by Lorcan Tucker. Charith Asalanka joined Mendis and the remaining runs required only another six overs, with all three Sri Lankan batters who got to the crease scoring at better than a run-a-ball. 'Ordeal by spin' today and it will be 'Ordeal by pace' against England at the MCG on Wednesday.

Toss: England. Afghanistan struggled throughout their innings to deal with the pace of the England bowlers on the hard and bouncy Perth pitch. Almost all of the dismissals resulted from catches in the deep. Afghanistan lost their last five wickets for just three runs in 12 deliveries! Afghanistan bowled very well to contain the normally free-scoring English batting line-up but weren't helped by the dropping of some straightforward chances and some sloppy ground fielding. After all the talk at the interval of how England would probably get to their target easily and quickly and thus give themselves a big run rate boost, they rather limped to victory against an Afghanistan bowling attack that will trouble most teams.

Defending champions Australia were brushed aside by their Antipodean neighbours in a display of power hitting that took the much vaunted Aussie attack to pieces from the first over. Finn Allen’s 42 came off 16 balls (5x4, 3x6) and Devon Conway's 92* from 58 (7x4 and 2x6) with Jimmy Neesham's two sixes in his 26* off 13 rubbing salt into the wound. Australia never got going, losing Warner, Finch and Marsh, all inside the first five overs. Glenn (The Big Show) Maxwell was relegated to a 'walk-on' part as Southee and Santner claimed three wickets each, Trent Boult a couple in a demolition of the Aussie batting line-up. A massive statement from the Kiwis who had waited 11 years to register a win against Australia in Australia - well worth the wait!

Tough going for the Scots with only George Munsey making a significant contribution, and even he struggled to find his timing on this pitch, Zimbabwe giving them little in the way of pace to work with. Early wickets for Scotland reduced Zimbabwe to 42/3 but Sikander Raza came to the crease, swinging from the off and his 40 from 23 (3x4, 2x6) in a 7 over partnership of 64 with his captain swung the game Zimbabwe's way. Craig Ervine who had controlled the chase to perfection holed out to mid-off with 14 required off the final 3 overs, but it was too little, too late for the Scots whose bowling did not match their opponents today. Zimbabwe top the group and will now face South Africa in Hobart on Monday.

West Indies coming up 15-20 short of what they had hoped for and indeed looked set to get, although today Ireland would still likely have come out on top. For the Windies only Brandon King with 62* off 48 balls managed to make an impact. Ireland excellent in the field and Gareth Delany with those 3 wickets the pick of the attack. For the first time this week Ireland got a start. Great hitting from both openers and 64 in the Powerplay set things up for a win 'slowing down' that was inevitable from a long way out. On now to the Super 12s, and let's be honest, anything other than that would have been a huge disappointment, they did it the hard way and all credit to them for that. Ireland's next opponents will be Sri Lanka at the same venue on Sunday. Another early 5am start for those at home.

A 70 run partnership for the eighth wicket between David Wiese and Reuben Trumpleman almost saw Namibia home in a nailbiting finish. Needing 14 off the final over and 10 off the final 3 deliveries Wiese fell to an overhead catch on the long-on boundary and that was that. The UAE total was a challenging one the 21 runs off JJ Smit in the twentieth over proving crucial. Namibia got close after a nightmare start that saw them 46/5 and 69/7. Then came that partnership that almost won the day. UAE with their first ever T20WC win but the biggest winners are of course the Netherlands who progress to the Super 12s, runners-up in the group to Sri Lanka, by the skin of their teeth.

A hard hitting innings of 79 from Kusal Mendis (5x4, 5x6) had set the Netherlands an imposing 163 for victory with Charith Asalanka's 31 the only other significant contribution. In the Dutch reply it was left to Max O’Dowd with 71* off 53 (6x4, 3x6) to single handedly get the Oranje as close as they did. Always going to be a tough chase against spinners who can move the ball both ways. The Dutch fate now rests in the hands of UAE who must beat Namibia for the Netherlands to progress to the Super 12s.

A pair of final over maximums from Rovan Powell ensured the Windies got past 150 and gave themselves a fighting chance in a must-win game. They didn't help their cause with wickets tumbling in the middle overs, 90/2 quickly becoming 97/5 and 101/6. And it all started so well as they say with Johnson Charles scoring freely. He perished after being sent back attempting an improbable single and slipped mid-pitch! Pressure does funny things and spin worked well for Zimbabwe. It was the pace of Alzari Joseph and the nagging bounce of Jason Holder that saw the Windies home to set up Friday’s games with all 4 teams tied on 2 points.

As they say about Halley's Comet, you only see it once in your lifetime, this was a stellar performance from Campher and Dockrell that saved skipper Balbirnie's blushes. A magnificent 86 off 55 balls from Michael Jones had propelled Scotland beyond the 170 total that had previously been chased down in Hobart only 3 times in over 20 encounters with questions asked as to how Ireland's bowling was managed, Campher taking 2-9 but only bowling two overs! When Ireland were 61/4 after 10 overs in the reply it was all Scotland and Campher and Dockrell took the only option open to them. With 115 added in the next 9 overs of the innings, an unbroken fifth wicket stand of 119, Campher 72* off 32 (7x4, 4x6) and Dockrell 39* off 27 (4x4, 1x6) ensuring that Ireland live to fight another day - at least!.

Sri Lanka looked to have thrown away a great start with a middle order collapse that included a Hat-trick from Karthik Meiyappan, Opener Nissanka batted throughout was only out in the last over but had already made the game safe for Sri Lanka. Impossible chase for UAE in these conditions and they were trouble straight away with a triple strike from Dushmantha Chameera, and only went downhill from there. Wanindu Hasaranga with figures of 3-8 finished the job with the ball spinning both ways. Could have been a bigger margin as Sri Lanka dropped a couple of catches in the closing stages. So it's Sri Lanka versus the Netherlands on Thursday, where a win for Sri Lanka could see them winning the group on NRR and coupled with a win for Namibia over UAE will see the Netherlands knocked out!

The Netherlands almost snatch defeat from the jaws of victory! Tough going for Namibia who chose to bat first on a pitch that as on Sunday has been a bit 'up and down'. Add to that a bit of help for the three spinners Pringle, Ackerman and van der Merwe who each claimed a wicket. Boundaries few and far between, 3 at the start from van Lingen and 3 more in the final three overs. In the reply it was Vikram Singh swinging hard from the off - perished as he lived, caught in the deep. It should have been plain sailing from there for the Oranje but….. Namibia only seemed to realise they were still in it when it was too late and it was the Dutch who sneaked this one to go two from two and top the group.

A 82 run Sikandar Raza blitz set Ireland an improbable target 175 for victory. Raza's 48 ball innings contained 5x6 and 5x4 and the Ireland bowlers wilted under the barrage. There was pace and bounce in the pitch which Josh Little exploited to claim his 3 wickets, with a couple each for Mark Adair and Simi Singh. Whatever pace and bounce Little got was more than matched by Muzarabani who had Balbirnie and Tector flatfooted and edging to slip. Little positives to report in the Ireland innings, except perhaps some lusty swings in the final overs clawing back a few decimal points in their NRR.

Fifteen runs off the final over of the innings bowled by Odean Smith gave the Scots the chance to pull off a famous victory. George Munsey was kept off strike after he got to his 50 otherwise the Windies would have had a bigger chase on their hands. The Scottish spinners did their job perfectly with the Windies falling to boundary catches as they tried to break the stranglehold. Jason Holder only bowled 3 overs and when batting was left with an impossible task as wickets fell around him. What a day for the Scots in their 'toughest' group match. 'Scots Wha Hae'!

Netherlands creep across the line with a ball to spare. Not much intent shown by UAE in their first innings, Muhammad Waseem the stand out innings while the Oranje bowlers were at their steady best taking 6 wickets for only 26 runs in the final 5 overs. A real struggle for both sides on a pitch that had inconsistent bounce throughout, with the Netherlands not managing a boundary after the eighth over. The Oranje will be happy to have claimed the points, just!

What a win for Namibia! Late order runs from Jan Frylinck and JJ Smit took the Eagles to a total that Sri Lanka never looked like matching. Wickets shared amongst the Namibian bowlers in a great team effort. A shock result perhaps, but it actually didn't look like that at all. Eagles flying high!