107-3 More tight stuff from Tim Bresnan who's still getting some reverse swing. Bowling an incredibly tight line and length. AB keeps him out. Excellent over! A maiden.
107-3 AB shuffles in front of his stumps and the ball turns back into him. Struck on the pads but not chance of LBW. Reverse sweep attempted now - unnecessary shot from AB and he makes no contact. Eventually a run comes off the over as de Villiers sweeps to backward square leg boundary where fine leg fields comfortably. Faf du Plessis gets an edge onto his pads but the ball loops just out of reach of the man at slip. Agony for KP.
106-3 Bresnan getting the ball to swing here. Too short on that occasion though and de Villiers punches nicely through cover for two runs. Lovely bowling to du Plessis! Late swing into the right hander and Faf keeps it out neatly, dropping it onto the ground in front of him.
103-3 Too full from KP and du Plessis gets the cover drive out. Gets his foot to the ball nicely and plays a totally risk free shout - placing it perfectly between cover and point. That'll help the nerves. Hundred up for SA.
97-3 Tim Bresnan comes back. He's done well so far in this match and had a terrific game aganst India also. AB gets a single off the first delivery and Faf does the same two balls later. du Plessis ends the over with a nice looking drive to mid off. No run.
93-3 Test match in multicoloured clothing this. Strange shot from de Villiers - goes for the sweep and the ball is slightly short - so de AB scoop/pulls it over his shoulder for two risky runs. KP ends the over with a loud appeal for bat/pad catch at slip. No interest from umpire.
88-3 du Plessis not looking all that comfortable. Lots of pressure on him. He completely misreads the line from Broad and he's beaten outside off. Broad smiles at him knowingly. du Plessis does manage to get the next delivery to backward point for two runs.
85-3 KP is given the opportunity the redeem himself after his short time at the crease this morning. Prodigious turner of the ball and he starts with a decent delivery that beats de Villiers with turn back into him - takes a thin edge onto his pads and the ball runs down to third man for a single. Good over from Pietersen.
84-3 OUT! Gone! Kallis is history. Are England getting back into this match? Kallis goes for the big drive off an awful, wide delivery. He hardly moves his feet though and the edge goes through to Prior. His disappointing tournament continues. Proteas maybe just getting a little nervous here. Faf du Plessis is the new man.
82-2 Swann starts his 7th over. Will Strauss bowl him through? Pietersen is another option. Protea bastmen seem content to simply keep Swann out for the moment.
80-2 Good line and tlength from the England paceman. OUT! And he gets his reward. The big fish! Amla looks to work the ball down to third man but it nips back at him and he misreads the line - playing it back onto his stumps. de Villiers at the crease now. Broad gets the ball to swing a little - full and back into Kallis who keeps it out neatly. Four runs off the last ball though - more reverse swing for Broad and Kallis looks to play straight. Inside half of the bat connects with the ball and it races to the midwicket boundary.
75-1 Nicely worked to midwicket by Amla - looking good against Swann. Heavens! What a shot from Kallis. Goes down on one knee and sweeps that powerfully in front of square for four runs. No chance for any of the fielders in the vicinity. Goes for ti again again but this one is too close to square leg who stops neatly with a dive to his left.
70-1 Here comes Stuart Brad. Too full first up but Kallis' drive on the up is straight at the man at cover and no run is taken. He's getting a little bit of swing, but Kallis has no problems.
68-1 And is he gone this time? Review requested. Smith dangles his bat towards a viciously turning and bouncing delivery and it's definitely taken the edge of Smith's glove. OUT! Smith's lived a charmed life up untill now and finally Swann and England have something to celebrate. Kallis in now. He's not had a great tounament so far and would love to still be there at the end of the match. And he starts in style. Too full and straight from Swann and Kallis hits him straight back down the ground for four. No risk there. AND ANOTHER REVIEW! For bat-pad this time and it looks like Kallis is safe here. Yes he is. No problem. Missed the bat and straight onto the thigh pad. Massive turn and bounce again from Swann. Eventfull over.
63-0 Much better from Smith who looks like he's edging towards something resembling a bit of form. Six runs from that Yardy over.
57-0 Swann to Amla now who sweeps him just behind square for a single. Poor Smith - he'd love to stay off strike. He decides to take the game to Swann though and the risk pays off! Makes room for himself and absolutely creams a full ball through extra cover to the boundary. Lovely shot. And a good one from Amla too - driven through the covers for three runs. Much better over for South Africa and serious problems for England - who, frankly, need an act of God to pull this one back.
48-0 Yardy's turn to get some spin now but Amla has no problem cutting the ball away for two runs to the point boundary. Yardy's first ball to Smith again beats the SA captain - hitting him on the pad this time but the inside edge saves him.
43-0 And normal service resumes from Swann's end. Impossible to keep out - he gets the edge of Smith's bat but the ball loops over both slips and the SA captain survives. And he continues to survive! No idea how to get off strike. Smith goes for a drive now and hits the ball in the air straight at Bresnan at cover but the ball lands just short of him. Swann can't believe it and neither can I.
41-0 Beaten again. Smith prods at a decent delivery moving away from him off his back foot and makes no contact. Some more good fielding - Bopara this time - saves a boundary. Well cut by Amla by no run. Nicely punched off th back foot by Amla - two runs.
37-0 Great delivery beats Smith all ends up. Lots of turn and bounce and Smith's forward prod is soundly beaten. Smith lets the next delivery go through. And again! Much better line this time, pitching on leg, and Smith's off stump is missed by a hair's breadth. Fantastic over from England's best bowler.
35-0 Amla looking to force Bresnan around but he's not having much success - Bresnan hitting the right areas of the pitch. What happened there?!? Pietersen has a brain meltdown and it costs England four runs. No chance of a run out and KP gifts the Proteas a boundary via overthrows.
29-0 Swann comes in for Yardy and hits an excellent area straight up. Smith keeps him out as if he was batting for a draw. Confident appeal from Swann after striking Smith on the pads. No review though despite replays suggesting the ball would JUST have nicked the outside of leg stump though.
29-0 Tim Bresnan into the attack now. A shortish ball and Amla attemps a pull shot but gets nothing on it. The ball nips his shirt though and the sound confuses Kevin Pietersen at slip who voices a load, solitary appeal. Good start for Bresnan.
27-0 Well struck by Amla for two runs. Very wide outside off and he makes no effort to keep the ball on the ground. driven hard over cover to the boundary where the sweeper does well to keep the ball away from the rope. Excellent over for SA despite some good fielding preventing two boundaries. Yardy targeting the off side and it's not working for him. Not able to extract the same venom from this pitch as Peterson did at the start of the SA innings.
19-0 Nicely put away by Smith! Poor delivery by Anderson - very wide down the leg side and the Protea skipper turns him away for four - not as fine as he would have liked, but a good outcome for him nonetheless. Not the start England would have wanted.
12-0 Yardy continues and Amla immediately drives him confidently over extra cover for four. Very close to a leaping Strauss though - could have been the end of Amla. OH! And another chance! Amla comes forward defensively to a turning delivery - Yardy gets the edge and the ball lands agonisingly short of the man at first slip. Smith gets off the mark with a single - playing a full delivery to deep square leg for a single.
6-0 Jimmy starts with a full delivery on Amla's off side. The batsman drives that ball back to him for no run. A very full ball angled at Amla's pads is driven hard straight at the mman at a short midwicket catching position. Anderson keeping it very straight so far. One run to backward square leg off the last ball of the over. Good strat for Jimmy. Imperative for England that he has a good match.
5-0 Amla starts the innings by playing a good length delivery back to the bowler. Shot! A shout of 'catch' but Amla's placed that perfectly between cover and extra cover. Four runs. Man placed on the cover boundary at the expense of a slip. Smith plays forward to a turning delivery and he's beatn by the turn and struck on the pads and the resultant appeal is turned down.
Out come the umpires, who have both had a very good match so far. Looks like Yardy's going to be opening the bowling for England. Amla to face.
Terrific performance with the ball and in the field from the Proteas. England simply couldn't recover from their top order collapse and despite an excllent fightback from run-machine Trott and the new man, Bopara, only managed a total of 171. Join us again soon for the SA innings.
171-10 Last over of the batting powerplay. The first ball is a bit off a full toss that strikes Swann on the ankle almost three inches outside leg. SA go for what has to be the worst review ever and - no surprises - the original decision is upheld. Three wides next as a full ball outside off spins past bat, pad and glove. Excellent slog over midwicket from Swann adds four runs to the England total. OUT! Four wickets for Tahir! Full delivery that Swann attempts to strike straight but the turn takes the leading edge and Duminy takes a lovely catch running in from mid off. The England innings comes to an end.
164-9 Nothing spectacular to report on that over. Two runs from it.
162-9 Out! Another one for Tahir! Two consecutive googlys from the Protea leg spinner and Yardy's attempted cover drive comes off the outside half of the bat - sending the ball looping to a gleefull Robin Peterson at cover. Broad clueless on how to read the standard leg spinning delivery - comprehensively beaten and the ball trickles between his legs. OUT! Gone! LBW to a ball that looked suspiciously as if it may have pictched outside leg or even turned past off stump. Sadly no reviews remain and Broad shakes his head as he mopes off the field. Bad luck for England. A single for Anderson off the final ball denies Tahir the double wicket maiden. Replays suggest that the ball would, in fact, have struck off stump. Great decision from umpire Taufel.
161-7 Second over of the powerplay to be bowled by Steyn. Quite a bit of swing from him - full and moving away from Yardy who has no idea what to do. Misses the ball completely and it goes through to the keeper. Good stuff from Dale. Excellent shot from Swann. Gives himself room outside off and gets the perfect delivery - full and marginally outside off - for the shot he intends to play. The a booming drive through extra cover goes for four.
155-7 Batting powerplay taken by England now. Swann goes for a massive reverse sweep swipe to Tahir but doesn't make contact. He takes the ball in the box but no serious damage. Big appeal turned down. In fact, two consecutive appeals turned down. No reviews from SA though. Swann eventually does pull of the reverse slog-sweep. Great technique from him - swatting the ball over cover for four. A couple of big hits from him would do the England cause very well.
150-7 OUT! Another review upheld. Steyn's first ball skids on to Bresnan and moves back in to him sharply - he's struck in front of middle and that would have nicked leg stump. Great, confident captaincy from Graeme Smith and excellent bowling from his strike bowlers to repay the faith he's showing.
149-6 Appeal for a run out which goes to the third umpire. Bopara is comfortably in though - getting the dive out. OUT! That looked plumb! Morkel gets it nice and straight but Bopara misses the attempted writsy flick to the leg side and he's struck in front. Huge wicket for the Proteas. There was a review but absolutely no doubt in that. Great second spell from the SA paceman. Bresnan is the new man and he keeps out a yorker nicely - working the ball behind square on the leg side for a single.
146-5 Tahir back after taking a break off the field for a while. He's immediately swept square for four runs by Bopara. Takes some pressure off the rest of the over, which turns into a good one for England - 7 runs from it.
139-5 Smith's got a Slip in for Morkel now who gets Bopara to play a little late on a decent delivery outside off - the ball hits the ground at the batsman's feet and one gets the feeling that could just as easily have gone into the stumps. Two balls later Morkel beats Yardy with another beauty - coming around the wicket to the left hander. Lots of bouce and a little movement back into the batsman. Another excellent over from Morne - one run from it.
138-5 Huge LBW appeal from Peterson after Yardy misses a sweep. Nice full delivery and Smith doesn't ask for the review - would have bounced over the wickets comfortably. Another seriously challenging over from Peterson who is still hitting excellent areas but getting less turn than earlier.
135-5 Here comes Morne Morkel. Good running brings up Ravi Bopara's fifth ODI half century. Excellent innings from the new man in the England middle order. Wicket! Prior gone! Huge blow to England's innings! Beaten by an lovely delivery that pitches just outside off and moves away slightly. Prior gets an edge on it and van Wyk celebrates. Michael Yardy is the new man - looking determined. England need him to come to the party here. Terrific over from Morkel despite bowling a wide.
133-4 Nicely cut away by Bopara to the point boundary for two runs. He really is looking good. And so is Prior. Nothing wrong with that delivery - a little full maybe - and Prior sweeps hard in front of square for a precious, precious boundary. Good over for England.
126-4 SA's second leg spinner (never thought I'd ever get to type that) back into the attack. He's conceded only 12 runs off his 4 over so far. A short ball is pummelled to midwicket but some excellent fielding in the circle keeps it down to a single. Saved a boundary for sure. Nice shot from Bopara - got into position quickly and showed some quick hands.
122-4 Kallis' chance to bowl two consecutive maidens thwarted by Bopara - playing the ball deftly to third man for a single. Tidy bit of fielding by the bowler - diving to his right to stop the push down the ground. Two runs from the over. Drinks taken.
120-4 Nicely swept away for a single by Prior. Risky shot though - the ball pitching on middle. Beaten! Absolutely unplayable delivery from Tahir. Some drift into Bopara and the ball bites into the track - spnning and bounceing past the shoulder of the bat as well as van Wyk's gloves behind the wicket. Terrific bowling punished with a bye.
115-4 Kallis replaces Steyn. Bopara needs to take control here - imperrative that he remains at the wicket to the end. Prior has the chance to play an innings that may resurrect his reputation - certainly under a lot of pressure to perform.Good over from Kallis - getting some swing as we're accustomed to seeing - a maiden.
115-4 Here comes Tahir. DROPPED! Heavens what a catch would that have been. Full toss from the leg spinner and he's hit hard down to long-on where Steyn has to get out the full-length dive to get to the ball - he's got it in his hands but it bounces out cruelly as his elbows hit the turf. Trott smiles in relief. Out! But he's gone now! Lots of turn from Tahir - full flighted delivery and Trott completely mistimes the attempted drive down the ground - hitting the ball back towards the bowler who takes an excellent diving catch to his left. Massive blow to England's hopes of staying in this match. Matt Prior is in now. Lots of pressure on him.
112-3 More good bowling from Peterson - really getting good turn and hitting the right areas on the wicket. Can't make another breakthrough for SA though - the England batsmen know they need to treat him with respect here and work him around the park for two runs. Clever batting from Bopara and Trott.
110-3 Steyn continues. Trott brings up another half-century with a drive down the ground for three runs. Hard into the pitch and the ball bounces over a leaping Dale Steyn and past a diving Morne Morkel at mid off. Another big innings needed here from the England number three. What a season he's having! Only 6 runs from Steyn's last two overs.
106-3 Robin Peterson back now. His first delivery is driven away for a single through mid off. Quite a bit of turn for thim though as his second delivery finds a thick edge but lands comfortably short of backward-point. Trott eases the pressure some with a much needed boundary - working it away square on the leg side. Great timing.Six runs from the over.
100-3 du Plessis makes way for Steyn who's no doubt going to be looking for some reverse swing to these two right-handers. His third delivery tails in nicely to Bopara but the batsman works him away without any trouble to midwicket for a single.
97-3 Relief for Bopara. He comes down the track to Duminy, swings the bat through the line and makes great contact - maximum! Calculated risk and excellent execution.
89-3 More good bowling from the SA part-timers - keeping the run rate down - building the pressure on the England batsmen. Faf hitting an excellent line and length here.
86-3 Duminy's being tested here - he's got almost no room to move on the off side - anything short or wide enough can and will be put away. To his credit he keeps it tight though and neither batsman can get him away. Not a good period this for England.
83-3 LBW appeal not taken seriously by Simon Taufel. Bopara did get away with that though - could easilly have been bowled through his legs. Faf du Plessis looking very good indeed. Decent part-time spin option for SA. And this is going to be close! Fantastic fielding from de Villiers at short midwicket as Bopara's come sauntering down the track looking for a single. He's made his ground though and given not out by the 3rd umpire. That would have been an absolute shocker. Very good over for SA.
80-3 Duminy continues - he needs to keep it full and straight this over. Maybe a little too straight from him though and he's called wide down the leg side. England doing well to claw their way back into this game.
76-3 Not enough turn for du Plessis to be looking at a leg sump line. Worked away for a single. Faf follows it up with a better line - even throwing in a quicker delivery which prevents Bopara getting the slightly shorter ball away. Good over for South Africa.
73-3 Trott spots the lack of a third man and immediately tries to get the ball away to the fence with a reverse sweep. Doesn't make contact though. Two balls later and the new bowler drops it short - Trott cuts away for four runs. Nice shot and another good over for England.
68-3 Francois du Plessis into the attack for the first time this tournament. Driven down the ground for two runs first up. Big appeal for a catch behind off his last ball - much quicker delivery and Bopara goes for the cut - beaten by the change of pace and his bat flicks his pad on the way through to van Wyk. 'Not out' says umpire Taufel. Good decision.
65-3 Too full from SA's leg spinner and Bopara absolutelty smashes that through Faf du Plessis at cover. Runs away for four. Great shot from the man drafted in to rescue England's middle order. Great over for them - 8 runs from it.
Dale Steyn given the ball now. Smith would love another wicket here. Again he's a little straight and Bopara plays it down behind square for a single. Steyn getting some swing back into the right hander here! Ominous. Steyn clearly looking to hit the stumps but his target's a little off here - the ball fires down leg side for a wide. Bopara adds another two runs with one of the few off-seide shots of the day. Good over for England. Six runs from it.
51-3 Review! Confident appeal after Trott misses with a sweep shot. Quicker ball takes him on the back thigh and no hesitation from the umpire in lifting the finger. Trott asks for the review after some deliberation with his partner. Replays tell us the ball turned way too much to have struck the wickets. Comfortably missing off. Big scare for England but they survive. Maiden over.
51-3 Fractionally short and wide outside off but Morkel's pace and bounce beats Bopara's back foot drive. Second ball same result, except the ball was fuller and the ball beats the attempted cover drive. Third ball is on the perfect length - induces the defensive prod from Bopara and he takes the edge - no second slip though and the ball runs away for a welcome boundary. Good over from Morkel.
47-3 And here comes SA's leading wicket taker in the tournament - Imran Tahir. He keeps the ball nice and full - lots of flight. His last delivery's a fraction shorter and Bopara punches him through mid-off for a single.
44-3 Short and wide from Morkel and Trott finally finds the boundary. Neatly cut away - hard into the ground - and the ball bounces over backward point. Runs way to the boundary despite the man at backward point getting a hand on it. Nice shot from England's man in form. Morkel errs in line - no doubt targeting middle - but the ball flies down the leg side. Trott flashes at it hoping to get anything on the ball. He misses but the ball clips his pad and runs away.
36-3 Kallis holds back on the pace in that over - must be spotting something in the wicket. Again a little too straight there and Trott clips him neatly off the thigh-pad for a single to fine leg. Kallis again too straight in that over although neither batsman really capitalises - three singles coming off it.
33-3 Morkel looking his usual self - excellent line and length to start his second over. Keeps it just outside off and Trott can't get him away untill the final ball of the over which is somewhat shorter. Showing Kallis and Steyn how it's done.
32-3 Kallis takes the ball from SA's spin hero and his first ball is dug in - nicely pulled away by Bopara but straight at the man on the square boundary. Kallis also targets middle stump and Trott comfortably works it away for two runs. The next ball is pitched short. Ridiculously short. The ball bounces comfortably over batsman and keeper for four wides. Kallis follows it up with a nice slower yorker.
23-3 Morne Morkel is in the attack now - replacing Steyn. Trott comes down the track to his second delivery and doesn't quite pick up the line - wide outside off and his slash sends the ball towards 3rd man. A single is taken. Another wide delivery and Bopara goes for the cover drive. Edge is found again despite the lack of movement and the ball again flies down to Amla at 3rd man for a single.
21-3 Another excellent over from Peterson - he really is making excellent use of the conditions. His first ball is a quicker one and Bopara shapes for the cut - mistimes the shot completely and the ball thuds into the ground right in front of his stumps. Maiden over.
21-3 Bit too straight again from Steyn and he's neatly clipped away for two runs by Trott. Two balls later and Bopara does the same - three runs the result. Steyn very full - targeting middle stump.
15-3 Two slips in for Robin Peterson. Wicket! And another one! Peterson destroying England! Beats Bell with the flight, the batsman comes down the track and plays a tentative defensive forward-poke at a ball that suddenly drops on him. Back towards the bowler who takes an excellent catch diving forward. Raci Bopara is the new man.
14-2 Steyn keeps it full - looking for some swing. Clearly part of the game plan. He drops it short to Bell and this is too good a track not to be put away. Textbook pull shot for four runs. Steyn reverts to his original plan and the rest of then over is a good one for SA.
8-2 Peterson stays in the attack. Coming round the wicket to the right hander. Big test for Trott. He beats the bat comfortably. Excellent over in great bowling conditions.
8-2 Great work from the new keeper saves four leg byes. Excellent work from van Wyk. Diving to his left. Steyn's third is driven hard into the ground but it penetrates the covers and the batsman run two. Last ball's a bit too straight and it clips the pad again - this time running away for two leg byes.
3-2 - WICKET! Unbelievable! Strauss goes third ball as he holes out to deep midwicket - a hugely unnecessary dismissal. He'd had a little look and perhaps decided he wanted to get on top of Peterson from the start, but he's picked out Faf du Plessis in the deep and the Proteas are ecstatic. WICKET! And there's a second one! Pietersen clubbed Peterson to mid-on for a couple of runs, but is then caught at slip by de Villiers. The Proteas can barely believe their luck as England finish the first over on three for two. That turned.
Anthems have been sung, and the Proteas make an interesting decision in opening the bowling with Robin Peterson. Clearly looking to test out Kevin Pietersen against left-arm spin.
So England are batting first, and it's expected that there will be some swing first up. However it may not be a bad decision because Nasser Hussain's been out to look at the pitch and says it's very dry - a typical Indian wicket. Secondly, it seems that Morne van Wyk will keep wicket for South Africa, possibly because AB de Villiers' back is a bit iffy at the moment.
1. Andrew Strauss (capt), 2. Kevin Pietersen, 3. Jonathan Trott, 4. Ian Bell, 5. Ravi Bopara, 6. Matt Prior (wk), 7. Tim Bresnan, 8. Michael Yardy, 9. Stuart Broad, 10. Graeme Swann, 11. James Anderson.
1. Graeme Smith (capt), 2. Hashim Amla, 3. Jacques Kallis, 4. AB de Villiers, 5. JP Duminy, 6. Morne van Wyk (wk), 7. Francois du Plessis, 8. Robin Peterson, 9. Dale Steyn, 10. Morne Morkel, 11. Imran Tahir.
As expected, South Africa are unchanged while Bopara comes in for Collingwood, who has bad knees and worse form.
Andrew Strauss has won it, and England will bat first.
And welcome to live over-by-over commentary of England's big clash with South Africa in Chennai. Thus far the Proteas have been cruising, but they have their biggest test yet against an England side with their backs to the wall. The two sides are warming up, and news from our man at the ground, Tristan Holme, suggests we're likely to see an unchanged South Africa team while Ravi Bopara may come in for Paul Collingwood. Confirmation on that shortly.