But if AB goes it is surely game over and he nearly did, clipping the giant Irfan fractionally over the mid-wicket fielder. The big left-arm paceman is in trouble and the treatment does not look pleasant, the physio is manipulating Irfan's right buttock with his right elbow. He's been to watch that film they've all been talking about.

Neil Manthorp
BBC Test Match Special

"Kyle Abbott doesn't have the experience or status of Dale Steyn so I think he will put his body on the line and do whatever is needed. He has four first-class half-centuries to his name so he can do it."

Abbott is the new man, he averages 11. Just the one single to AB in the Afridi over and Abbott keeps out the rest. If someone can stay with AB the South Africans can still do this.

Neil Manthorp
BBC Test Match Special

"Dale Steyn had just been told to hang around and give his side a chance but he swung at three balls in a row. Once he edged behind, he turned around so he didn't have to catch his captain's eye."

Image source, AFP

Steyn has a best of 35 against India in 2010. He's no classical strokeplayer let's make that clear, but an edge over slips and a tennis style smash bring him two more boundaries. But hang on, he's gone. Huge problems. Why keep swinging with two boundaries already scored in the over? Pretty awful agricultural swipe and a thin edge.

Neil Manthorp
BBC Test Match Special

"I think Dale Steyn thinks just trying to survive is beyond him and he's going to play some shots."

Afridi bounds in with a slip and a leg gully in place, Steyn keeps the strike with a single from the final ball. Not sure that's part of the plan but the all-important wickets column remains at six.

Andrew Samson
BBC Test Match Special statistician

"AB de Villiers reaches 1,000 World Cup runs in 20 innings, equalling Sachin Tendulkar as the quickest to the mark."

Dale Steyn averages only seven from his 101 ODIs but he gets off the mark with a four over second slip off the gigantic Irfan, aided by a pretty awful piece of fielding on the boundary, while AB reaches 1,000 World Cup runs by pinching the bowling with a single off the final ball.

Jason Cole: Hmmm ... what's that I hear ... someone struggling to breath in Auckland ...?

Jeremy Coney
Ex-New Zealand captain on BBC Test Match Special

Image source, Getty Images

"Some of De Villiers' shots are not from the coaching manual but come from the depths of his imagination and that does strange things to bowlers. Immediately they change their line."

Before we see how Zimbabwe's reply goes we need to get across to Eden Park where South Africa are in trouble. And yet the man with the golden bat, AB de Villiers, flicks the fastest bowler in the tournament, Wahab Riaz, for two leg-side sixes to revive the innings.

Image source, AFP

South Africa lose another wicket! Mohammad Irfan gets the better of JP Duminy and Wahab Riaz takes the catch in the deep.

South Africa 102-6 after 19.4 overs and in deep trouble as Dale Steyn strides out to the middle to join his skipper AB de Villiers.

Zimbabwe reached 286 in 48 overs to beat UAE, compiled 289 in a losing cause against West Indies and have made over 300 on 20 occasions, most recently in 2011 when they stunned New Zealand by one wicket in Bulawayo.

Thanks Higgy. Well there was only been one score higher than that on this Bellerive Oval ground, and it was by Australia, against the poor old Zimbabweans in 2004, when Adam Gilchrist made 172.

Right then, with updates of the Pakistan and South Africa game and the resumption of the match in Hobart... here's Jamie Lillywhite.

Graeme Swann
Ex-England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

"It was tough going at the start but Ireland played it quite well and realised wickets in hands was the most important thing. The dropped catches allowed Ireland to push on, Ed Joyce making the most of his luck, but Andrew Balbirnie really provided the momentum when it was needed."

Andrew Samson
BBC Test Match Special statistician

"Ireland's total was the 20th score of 300 or more in this World Cup.

"Before today Zimbabwe had conceded 300 bowling first 41 times in ODIs. They have successfully chased 300 only once: 329-9 v New Zealand at Bulawayo in 2011."

Image source, ALLSPORT

Ireland 331-8: Joyce 112, Balbirnie 97

Fall of wickets: 16-1 (Stirling 10), 79-1 (Porterfield 29), 217-3 (Joyce 112), 276-4 (K O'Brien), 308-5 (Wilson 25), 319-6 (Mooney 10), 322-7 (N O'Brien 2), 326-8 (Balbirnie 97)

Bowling figures: Panyangara 9-0-69-1, Chatara 10-0-61-3, Mupariwa 10-0-56-0, Raza 9-0-51-0, Williams 9-0-72-3, Masazkadza 3-0-18-0

Zimbabwe won toss

Full scorecard

Ireland's Ed Joyce, who scored 112: "I had a lot of luck getting up to 30 and 40 but I felt better after that and am delighted to get my hundred. I think our score is par, because it's a small ground and a decent wicket. It's a must-win game and hopefully we have enough to get over the line."