India and Pakistan squared off in a match completely irrelevant in context of the competition. India remained unbeaten, while Pakistan are being sent home without a single win under their belt. Coach Dav Whatmore was visibly irked and frustrated at the post-match press conference – and who can blame him? By ANTOINETTE MULLER.

Picture this: A match tied on Duckworth-Lewis sees South Africa progress to the next round of an ICC knockout competition on net run rate. If you’d uttered those words a few weeks back, many cricket fans would have scoffed at the thought, but it was reality for the Proteas on Friday against the Windies. So now what? BY ANTOINETTE MULLER.

Australia continued its comical fall from grace as the team was sent crashing out of the Champions Trophy with just a single point to show for its efforts – or lack thereof. The result means Sri Lanka will take on India in the second semi-final at Cardiff on Thursday, while South Africa will square off against England on Wednesday. BY ANTOINETTE MULLER.

The Springboks’ disappointing 30-17 victory over Scotland in Nelspruit at the weekend proved the rugby theorem that whatever the physical attributes or pedigree of the players involved, it’s attitude that ultimately counts. By KEN BORLAND.

Although the Springboks trounced Italy convincingly, Scotland has traditionally not been an easy opponent to destroy. Heyneke Meyer’s reluctance to add to the 852 players in the index of South Africa’s capped internationals for Saturday’s Test against a depleted Scottish side has many people baffled, but the Springbok coach perhaps let slip his motivation with a throwaway line during the team announcement. KEN BORLAND.

It’s becoming rather familiar for the Proteas, being in a crunch situation with something to prove. They’ve come out in top in Test matches time and again, but now they’ve got a different monkey on their back. They’re in an ICC tournament, and while they might be in the group stages of the competition, their next match is a knock-out – lose and they’ll be sent packing with empty hands. BY ANTOINETTE MULLER.

Kumar Sangakkara hit an unbeaten hundred to help Sri Lanka chase down 294 against England on Thursday. The result means that Group A remains wide open and any team can still qualify. ANTOINETTE MULLER reports from The Oval.

Selecting players is a juggling act, as talent, experience and consistent form have to be measured against the probability of the player still being competitive for the 2015 World Cup. But coach Heyneke Meyer says he is loyal to performance, not players, so we can expect to see some new faces earning their caps in the quadrangular series. By KEN BORLAND.

When it rains, it pours, especially if you’re an Australian in England. The Aussies had their match against New Zealand washed out on Wednesday and had to settle for shared points, despite the fact that they looked like they might just clinch a win. Add this to the fact that David Warner was dropped over a bar brawl with Joe Root on Sunday night, and it’s not a good time to be Australian. BY ANTOINETTE MULLER.

David Warner is all over the headlines, once again for all the wrong reasons. An incident with an England player saw the opening batsman dropped from the Australian team for their match against New Zealand on Wednesday. There’ll be jokes aplenty, but one can only hope that along with a severe punishment, somebody is having a quiet word with him. By ANTOINETTE MULLER.

India claimed its second successive win of the Champions Trophy as it beat the West Indies by eight wickets on Tuesday. The win means India is the first team to qualify for the semi-finals and Pakistan is knocked out. India is looking like the team to watch. BY ANTOINETTE MULLER.

Misbah-ul-Haq is Pakistan’s trump player, and in the face of adversity, he has stood out - yet he was still booed at the post-match presentation after his side’s defeat against South Africa on Monday. He took the criticism in his stride, although it must be unbearably frustrating to be in his position. BY ANTOINETTE MULLER.

Hashim Amla on Monday proved once again that he is one of the best players of the current generation. His knock against Pakistan, while ending with a brief lapse in concentration, was sublime - and after a few blips, he looks back in perfect nick. By ANTOINETTE MULLER.

The Proteas went from “what on earth are they doing?” to “please keep doing that!” in the space of just a few days, as they beat Pakistan by 67 runs in Birmingham on Monday. Lonwabo Tostsobe was particularly impressive and stood out as the fine leader of a depleted attack. ANTOINETTE MULLER reports from Birmingham.

No game lends itself to more double standards and creative interpretation than cricket. Denesh Ramdin has been charged by the ICC for being “contrary to the spirit of the game”, a ridiculous notion which is little other than a smokescreen. BY ANTOINETTE MULLER.

A handful of debutants made exciting starts to their international careers, but it was evergreen veteran Bryan Habana who stole their thunder, and Bok coach Heyneke Meyer’s admiration, with another sparkling performance in the green and gold jersey. And if the Springboks can capitalise on the momentum gained from this win, Scotland will have their backs up against the wall in Mbombela on Saturday. By KEN BORLAND.

New Zealand and Sri Lanka squared off in what started as an understated affair but ended up being one of the most enticing clashes of the Champions Trophy. A fine effort in bowling all round ensured that the action never let up and that the competition was still resoundingly exciting even four days in. BY ANTOINETTE MULLER.

The defending Champions Trophy title-holders got their campaign off to a horrible start as they lost to England by 48 runs on Saturday in Birmingham. Australian skipper George Bailey said the result quite possibly “flattered” them and that it should have been a much bigger defeat. England looked a changed team with their bowlers in near-perfect touch. ANTOINETTE MULLER reports from Edgbaston.

The West Indies beat Pakistan by two wickets at the Oval on Friday. The match had everything, from rain interruptions to a delicate chase, as the Champions Trophy continued to entice and provide at least some sort of motive for one-day cricket’s continued existence. BY ANTOINETTE MULLER.

South Africa suffered yet another blow in their Champions Trophy campaign as Morné Morkel was ruled out with a quad strain on Friday. He’ll be replaced by Chris Morris – somebody many feel should have been there from the start. By ANTOINETTE MULLER.

The Springboks will almost certainly emerge victorious over Italy in their Test at King’s Park in Durban on Saturday, but the way they achieve that triumph is what most people will be interested in. By KEN BORLAND.

Thursday’s opening Champions Trophy clash had everything a good one-day match needs to make for enticing viewing. India came out tops in a few areas, but there are some positives for the Proteas - although, with the bodies on the treatment table mounting, they’ll have little time to mull over it. By ANTOINETTE MULLER.

South Africa started its Champions Trophy campaign with a 26-run loss against India. It was a day where nothing seemed to go the Proteas’ way. They can take heart from a select few batting performances, though, despite an almighty collapse which very nearly resembled the c-word. BY ANTOINETTE MULLER.

Coach Heyneke Meyer knows that he needs to add more attacking spark in year two of his tenure with the national team, and the two new caps chosen for the Test against Italy in Durban on Saturday could be the first steps in that process. By KEN BORLAND.

South Africa and India open the Champions Trophy in Cardiff on Thursday, in a match which should yield some rewards for the fast bowlers. Conditions are expected to be clear, and if Dale Steyn fails to pass a fitness test, it will be up to the Proteas’ rookies to lead the way. BY ANTOINETTE MULLER.

There really aren’t any easy matches in the competition, but as challenges go, Group A might the slightly less intense of the two groups leading up to the semi-finals of the competition. Hosts England will slog it out with Australia, New Zealand and Sri Lanka for a spot in the knockouts. ANTOINETTE MULLER previews the action.

Group B offers the most exciting clashes of the group stages, and if one would be so bold as to label a group tougher than the other, Group B would probably be the winner. ANTOINETTE MULLER previews the action.

AB de Villiers looked completely unfazed when South Africa lost to Pakistan by six wickets in the ICC warm-up match on Monday. The game had no official status and didn’t count for much, so for the skipper, getting the time out in the middle was all that really mattered. ANTOINETTE MULLER reports from The Oval in London.

The final edition of the ICC Champions Trophy rolls into town on Thursday. The short and sharp tournament has all the elements it needs to make it exciting. ANTOINETTE MULLER breaks down all the detail into bite-sized chunks before the action begins.