Inglaterra, The Guardian, Inglês

20th over: South Africa 107-1 (Bavuma 50, Van der Dussen 38) Target 363 Bavuma punches into the off-side, the single raising his fifty … and it’s the only run from the over. That’s one run from each of the last two overs, not really practicable when chasing 363. the required rate is now 8.53.

19th over: South Africa 106-1 (Bavuma 49, Van der Dussen 38) Target 363 Santner, though, responds really well to an expensive previous over, brave enough to toss them up and seeing Bavuma let him, beating the bat with a gorgeous fifth ball that yanks the batter forward, bounces, spins away … and passes over thee top of the stumps! Goodness me, that was a nut, and the over concludes with a single, the only run from it. Excellent work from the NZ captain.

18th over: South Africa 105-1 (Bavuma 48, Van der Dussen 38) Target 363 Nice from Van der Dussen, stepping towards off and tickling a ramp for three; a leg-side wide follows, then Bavuma steps, skips, and now facing a half-volley, toes over the infield for four. I don’t know, maybe this is the most cunningly-navigated chase ever – Bavuma looks calm out there – and three singles complete the over. Given the batting SA have to come and the might of the total they’re seeking, they’re not badly placed really.

17th over: South Africa 94-1 (Bavuma 42, Van der Dussen 34) Target 363 Santner introduces himself to the attack and he’ll desperately want to break this partnership; SA must surely look to victimise him. But its singles from his first two deliveries, then he slants one into Bavuma’s pad and appeals, but it was going down and there was, I think, also an edge; other than that, though, it was plumb. Two further singles complete the scoring from the over as we see a replay of Phillips throwing in awkwardly and intimating back pain; the required rate is now up to 8.15.

16th over: South Africa 90-1 (Bavuma 38, Van der Dussen 30) Target 363 It’s quite an effort for boots to clash with both SA colours, but Van der Dussen has pulled it off effortlessly. And after a wide, he turns to long-on for one then, back on strike, his mistimed flick drops just shy of midwicket. Two more singles make it five from this latest Bracewell over, and SA are doing just enough to stick in this; drinks.

15th over: South Africa 85-1 (Bavuma 38, Van der Dussen 30) Target 363 Thrree balls, three singles, the last of them pinched to Phillips, who shies and misses – though Bavuma was in. Oh, and when Van der Dussen hits to mid-off, they go again, but Santner can’t pick up smoothly; had he managed, it was trouble. Two more ones complete the other, six from it, and the sense here is of a rollercoaster clicking up a slope before it flings itself over the other side.

14th over: South Africa 79-1 (Bavuma 35, Van der Dussen 27) Target 363 I was a little surprised SA allowed Bracewell to twirl though his first over, largely unmolested; surely there’ll be an attack in his second? Er, not really. Vaan der Dussen adds a pinched single to midwicket, Bavuma comes down and fiddles to long on, and that’s just two from the over. The required rate is 7.88, and given these two have taken time in setting, you feel they’ve got to cash in at some point.

13th over: South Africa 77-1 (Bavuma 34, Van der Dussen 26) Target 363 Eeesh, O’Rourke is allowed a second over and Van der Dussen chips over the top, just, for two; if the fielder is two yards further back, it’s gone. Two singles follow while, off the pitch, Phillips is treated after hurting himself making that stop in the last over; SA have slowed again.

12th over: South Africa 72-1 (Bavuma 33, Van der Dussen 22) Target 363 Time for spin, Bracewell into the attack, and when Van der Dussen clips his loosener firmly towards midwicket, Phillips makes a fine stop, saving four. The remainder of the over yields three singles, the first raising the fifty partnership off forty balls.

11th over: South Africa 69-1 (Bavuma 32, Van der Dussen 20) Target 363 O’Rourke replaces Henry and opens with a wide half-volley which Van der Dussen does not, cannot, allow to go unpunished, stretching to marmalise four through cover. This is boiling now, singles off the next two balls keeping the score moving – SA need boundaries but early doors, they allowed way too many dots – and as I type, Van der Dussen smokes a drive only to pick out the fielder. No matter: O’Rourke leaps wide of the crease, launches a cross-seamer that crowds Bavuma … and is edged for four. A run-down to third follows, they run two, and that’s 13 off the over, three belters in a row for SA. Thinking to do for Mitchell Santner.

10th over: South Africa 56-1 (Bavuma 25, Van der Dussen 14) Target 363 That plan of Bavuma’s? It’s here! Jamieson bangs in short and the SA captain wastes no time getting forward before spinning into a pull, launched over deep backward for six. Two to square leg follows, then two more from a drive that squirts into the on side, and that’s 10 added for the second over in a row, the crowd now chanting Bavuma’s name. The required rate is now 7.67.

9th over: South Africa 46-1 (Bavuma 15, Van der Dussen 14) Target 363 Van der Dussen nudges one to mid-off and they sprint through, then Bavuma steps outside the line in order to make room … and he lofts powerfully over mid-off for four; about time and more like it. A run-down for one follows, then Van der Dussen crouches, rises, takes a little step, then leans back and drives through cover for four. He’s tall enough to mess with Henry’s length, and South Africa badly needed that.

8th over: South Africa 36-1 (Bavuma 10, Van der Dussen 9) Target 363 “He might have a cunning plan,” says Ian Smith of Bavuma, “but I don’t know what it is”; and a captain’s knock of eight off 23 is not what you need when chasing a monster. I guess given the power SA have lower down, he might want to keep wickets in hand, but it’s so hard to pull back a poor start. In fairness, though, Both NZ bowlers deserve credit, finding a groove and line; Jamieson opens this over with four dots, and though Van der Dussen then takes one to fine leg, before Bavuma half-bats two to extra, this is not a good start.

7th over: South Africa 33-1 (Bavuma 8, Van der Dussen 8) Target 363 Van der Dussen knocks to mid-off and Santner’s throw is poor, allowing a second run. But Henry is kicking up quite a lick, ceding just one more from it, and already, it feels like SA are in trouble, the first powerplay almost expired.

6th over: South Africa 30-1 (Bavuma 8, Van der Dussen 5) Target 363 Now it’s Bavuma sent a half-volley on to the pads and the skipper doesn’t miss out, leaning into a one-footed drive through midwicket for four. A single into the same area follows, then Van der Dussen dabs into the off-side for one more. Six off the over, and so far we’ve only had one which satisfied the rate, now up at 7.56.

5th over: South Africa 24-1 (Bavuma 2, Van der Dussen 4) Target 363 Van der Dussen, wearing dayglo yellow boots, knows he’s got to do something, and when his first ball is a half-volley on the pads, he wastes no time dismissively turning it away for four.

WICKET! Rickelton c Bracewell b Henry 17 (South Africa 20-1)

5th over: South Africa 20-0 (Rickleton 17, Bavuma 3) Target 363It’s not been the incendiary start I felt SA needed and at the start of this over the required rate is already up at 7.47, but Rickelton’s driving suggests he might be able to do something here. The batters take a single each from the first four balls of the over.

4th over: South Africa 19-0 (Rickleton 17, Bavuma 2) Target 363 Three more dots form Jamieson make it nine straight, at which point Bavuma decides he’s had enough, looking to drive, edging, and adding one. This brings the left-handed Rickelton back on to strike and donated a delivery in the corridor, but on the wrong side, he glances four through square leg; he’s timing it beautifully.

3rd over: South Africa 14-0 (Rickleton 13, Bavuma 1) Target 363 Rickelton drives hard but straight to mid-off and they run one, then Henry again beats the outside edge with a jazzer. A half-batted one soon gets Bavuma down the other end, before Rickelton again strokes gorgeously down the ground for four. He barely moved feet, instead waiting and playing under his eyes.

2nd over: South Africa 8-0 (Rickleton 8, Bavuma 0) Target 363 In charges Jamieson and he beats Bavuma’s bat first up, then ploughs through a maiden. His release point, we see, is the highest of any bowler in the competition – I bet you can hear him coming – though Marco Jansen is an even taller man.

1st over: South Africa 8-0 (Rickleton 8, Bavuma 0) Target 363 Henry opens and Rickleton gets away second ball, French-cutting to the fine-leg fence before under-edging low to the keeper, one bounce. But if that first boundary is a fluke, the second – the full face of the bat presented – is a beauty. SA are away.

And play.

Here come our batters…

While we wait, here’s playlist of my favourite South African tunes. I absolutely promise, it’s a banger, and if you’re unfamiliar with amapiano, it kicks you right in the soul.

Dale Steyn reckons NZ’s total is chaseable on this track and it is, but the combination of pressure and attack makes it almost impossible. SA will need a really good start and at least two major knocks from their batters. There are a few capable of playing them, but can they play them today? History says nay.

I very much enjoy that, in South African English, when speaking in the plural it’s not series and innings, but serieses and inningses. Rightly so.

Tell you what, I’d not be enjoying this tournament if the presenters weren’t all clad in identical baby blue blazers. Thank goodness for that.

Incidentally, the older I get, the more often I wonder if Bringing It All Back Home is the best Bob album. Now that you ask.

Rachin Ravindra, though, what a boy. I might be suggesting this out of envy – I very much regret spending my teenage years straightening my jewfro – but his is surely the best barnet in cricket. Feel free to suggest his competitors.

Thanks Daniel and good morning everyone. I’d be extremely surprised if NZ don’t have way more than enough; my sense is that chasing big totals, teams either get close or nowhere near, and I’m reasoning that the pressure of having to score so many will lead to early wickets.

This week’s Spin column

New Zealand post 361-6

WICKET! Bracewell c Rickelton b Ngidi 16 (New Zealand 360-6)

49th over: New Zealand 349-5 (Phillips 42, Bracewell 12) Jansen closes out with 0-79 from his 10. (I forgot the mention that Rabada signed out with 2-70 after the last over). Jansen’s over was all over the place, but the Kiwis couldn’t find a boundary thanks to some sharp fielding from Miller in the deep and Maharaj at short fine leg. Six off it, all run. One to go. I reckon they’ve already got more than enough.

48th over: New Zealand 343-5 (Phillips 40, Bracewell 8) Phillips starts the over by crunching Rabada back over his head for six. A wide and then a two off his pads comes before some width that Phillips swats through the covers for four more. After a mini fightback from the Saffas it’s New Zealand on the charge again. A single off a bumper that hits Phillips’ helmet brings Bracewell on strike. He tries to pull ta short ball and gets a lucky bounce off his pads that shoots away for four leg byes. A single off the last ball means it’s 19 off the over. 70 runs off the last five overs.

47th over: New Zealand 324-5 (Phillips 27, Bracewell 7) Ngidi’s cutter gets the wicket and his only fast ball of the over, a poor spray on Bracewell’s pads, is clipped for four. Two wides down the leg side will annoy the bowler and captain alike. Bracewell ends the set with a cut into the deep that counts for two.

WICKET! Mitchell c Rabada b Ngidi 49 (New Zealand 314-5)

46th over: New Zealand 314-4 (Mitchell 49, Phillips 26) The last 30 balls have cost 57 runs. Phillips ends this Jansen over with four consecutive fours – a tuck round the corner, a swiped down long leg, a drive down the ground and a swat past midwicket. 18 off the over, the most expensive of the match.

45th over: New Zealand 296-4 (Mitchell 48, Phillips 9) The slower cutters have worked a treat for South Africa but Mitchell is ready and waiting for this one from Ngidi. He stands still and thwacks one over square leg. Ngidi goes again and Mitchell skies it to Mulder who drops it having lost it in the setting sun! Just didn’t get close to it and had to watch it trickle to the boundary. There’s four more with a scything cut shot. 6-4-4 in three consecutive balls. Three singles either side of the carnage. New Zealand back on track with that lucrative over.

44th over: New Zealand 279-4 (Mitchell 33, Phillips 7) A good set from Rabada, just five singles off that one. He’s showing the way for the Kiwi bowlers. Pace off is the way to go. South Africa have done brilliantly to get back into this. The last 24 balls have cost just 27 runs and only two boundaries.

What’s the target from here?

“New Zealand need 360,” says the X account Radio Cricket (formerly AltCricket). “The conditions will change dramatically.”

That seems like more than enough to me. I feel that 330 would be hard to chase down. Unless of course Miller and Klaasen get hold of a few.

43rd over: New Zealand 274-4 (Mitchell 31, Phillips 4) Mitchell muscles a straight drive down the ground for four. Jansen’s cutter was a touch too full there and the big hitting Mitchell has his first boundary. He gets his second with a deft dab to a short and wide one that was just begging to be put away. An expensive over from the lanky lefty; 13 off it.