South Africa West Indies

2.14pm The sun is out. Covers are coming off. If we start by 1.10pm, we could have a game of something close to 40 overs a side 11.44am Okay it stopped drizzling for about a couple minutes. It is back now "This is an interesting scenario - the longer the rain goes on, the more likely there will be a wash out and SA qualify. However, if play does get going at some point, the longer the rain goes on, the more likely WI will win in a shorter format of the game!" Marc, that sums up the dilemma "Would it be possible for the West Indies to bat first. Score very quickly. The game to be washed out and West Indies to go through on NRR or not?" No, Ashley, only completed games count towards net run rate 11.41am Rain has stopped momentarily. If there is no more rain, we can start at 12.41pm, and we might have a game of more than 40 overs a side "Highveldhillbilly has a point. West Indies didn't drop Ambrose Walsh or Bishop. Ambrose would have been a handful with the variable bounce." James, Ambrose that day: 10-0-29-1 11.30am Still raining, but very light. And it has got brighter too. Our calculations say that we must begin by 4.05pm if we are to have a 20-over game. That means the rain has to stop by 3.05pm Highveldhillbilly: "With all due respect regarding the quarter final in 1996, while the pitch may have been tough to bat on SA's selection also didn't help matters. They dropped Donald and played two spinners. Let me repeat, they dropped Donald in 1996 when he was in his pomp and played two very average spinners. Ask Lara who he'd rather face dry pitch or no dry pitch. Remember watching that game as a very sad 13 year old, little did I know the 1999 world cup was around the corner - definitely the pinnacle of pain for an SA fan with a slightly unhealthy obsession with cricket." "if Pakistan scored above 216 against SA , SA would have been out....credit is due @McLaren for taking last two wickets against pakistan" Strong point, Bimal 11.10am "I really hope the elements are not just toying with me! Rain and WI have played significant roles stopping SA at previous tournaments! Is this karma?" Dale, I hear you. Knocked out by rain in 1992, and by West Indies in 1996. In fact I remember Fanie de Villiers telling me they didn't choke in that 1996 quarter-final. He said the pitch was so dry and full of cracks they were pleading with Hansie to win the toss because it would be impossible to chase on that wicket. Sure enough, Roger Harper and Jimmy Adams took seven wickets for 100 runs between them. For more from Fanie, go here and here Still drizzling, by the way 10.55am Sameer: "@Nitin Chaudhary:When Morne came to bat to better the teams NRR, he had no clue by what margin WI would lose to India. "Thats why #Respect Morne Morkel"" "But am surprised, McLaren should get the credit if any, but why morkel who socred 8 of the 48 partnership" Ravi, not taking anything away from McLaren, but Morkel was not fit to bat and hobbled through that innings. McLaren wouldn't have had any partner to bat with had Morkel listened to his body Meanwhile, still drizzling in Cardiff. We began to lose at 10.45am, assuming it takes an hour for ground to become fit once it stop raining and that we can take 15 minutes off the lunch break 10.45am "@Sid and all Morkal fans, Sorry to disappoint u guys but even without those 48 runs SA NRR is -0.07 (better than WI -0.086)" Nitin Chaudhary, I did the math just now, and I agree with your findings, but it is the spirit and the thinking that is being appreciated here And Warren here talks about his economical bowling too: "Spot on! If play is suspended due to rain, then SA will go through to the semi's thanks th their better run rate, which was thanks to Morne Morkel's performance against India, both economical bowling and then coming to bat while injured and help his team add an extra 48 runs." Leonard: "About the fantasy cricket. Had a look at the weather forecast and did not pick a single player playing today." 10.40am "You're going to have to change the name of it so it sounds good! Here's a link" Jonathan, I appreciate your and everybody's effort, but the PA man at Centurion, who is Morne's friends too, has created the best mix of all time. Of all time. There the tone of saying "Morne Morkel" is similar to the "Barbra Streisand" in the original, which by the way is a remix of Boney M's Gotta Go Home 10.30am To all those asking me about fantasy cricket, the transfers you make today won't come back even if not a single ball is bowled 10.20am Nick Ivey: "With respect to Morne Morkel and Barbra Streisand, try this" 10.15am Still raining. Nagraj tells me that about a thousand of the 10,000 who bought tickets have arrived at the ground. Most of them are at the Ymochen Du pub. Meanwhile the groundsman now says it will take an hour for the game to start once it stops raining. And it hasn't stopped raining yet Peerzada: "WWOOOOOOOOOWOWOWOWOOOOOOOOOOOW­OWOOOO MORNE MORKEL WWOOOOOOOOOOOOOWOOOOWOOOOOOOOO­OOOOWOOOOOOOWOWOWOWOWOOOOOOOOO­OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWOOOOOOOOOOOO­OWOO MORNE MORKEL WOWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWOOOOOOOOOOO­OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO­OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWOOOOO­OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO­OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWOOOO­OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO­OOOOOOOOOOO MORNE MORKEL WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWOOOO­OOOOOOOOOOOOOWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWO­OOOOOOOOOOOWOOOOOOOOOOO" 10am "The format of the game is 50 overs per side. They should not change the format prior to the game to try and manufacture a result. If in the course of the game it becomes necessary to apply the DL system then so be it." Craig, I agree And if South Africa do go through on net run rate, I want to take you back to the first match when the inured Morne Morkel came out to bat just so that South Africa could minimise their net-run-rate damage. Well done, Morne, who added 48 runs with Ryan McLaren. Time to listen to the Morne Morkel song. Well, in your heads, change every mention of Barbra Streisand to Morne Morkel in this song 9.45am "Say they get on at 2pm, and the forecast is for a 3-3.5 hour window before the rain returns. Do they play a 20 over game to a finish, or does the first innings last (say) 32 overs, meaning the game is washed out at 5.30?" James, you raise an interesting question, but we have to follow procedures. We can't assume it will start raining at 5.30pm again, can we? And what if we play just a 20-over game, and it doesn't rain? Won't it be unfair on sides that keep getting better with the length of the match? For the record, if the match starts at 2pm, we should be able to have a 37- of 38-over game in 9.30am Temporary good news. It has stopped drizzling, but they are expecting more so not taking the covers off in a hurry Aabhas: "In such kind of a tournament where every game is important, surely there must be a case of having a spare day. There's no game in Cardiff tomorrow so why can't they have played tomorrow in case of a washout?" "What's the deal with changing your fantasy team if rain delays the play??" Shreyansh, you have to make your changes by the scheduled start of play, which 10.30am BST, even if the start is delayed 9.15am Another day with early start to commentary. This time not because someone has punched someone, but because the weather has not been good in Cardiff. We are looking at a delayed start for sure, but the groundsmen believe there is a window for some play this afternoon. They are working hard, trying to remove excess water off the covers even as it rains so that they can be ready within 40-45 minutes once the rain stops. If we don't get a game in today, South Africa will go through thanks to a better net run rate

Commentator Sidharth Monga | Scorer Sanjay Murari