Simon Hughes
BBC Test Match Special

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"If you're going on the Duckworth-Lewis par score, which is a guide [even if it won't rain], at this point England should have 126 - and they have 145."

Geoffrey Boycott
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

"If the square-leg umpire was doing his job, he'd see Hales' back foot hadn't moved, up or down or sideways."

South Africa's use of military medium pace in the form of Farhan Behardien is more nineties than an Oasis cassette and Tamagotchis. The only time he looks like he might take a wicket is when he chucks a wide down the leg side, the batsman wobbles ever so slightly and the keeper whips off the bails. The umpire goes upstairs, but Hales is fine. Carry on.

England 140-2 (30 overs)

Not out batsmen: Hales 74 (91 balls), Morgan 12 (12)

Fall of wickets: 20-1 (Roy 14), 117-2 (Root 38)

Bowling figures: Abbott 7-1-35-2, Rababda 6-0-24-0, Morkel 6-0-20-0, Tahir 5-0-31-0, Behardien 3-0-13-0, Duminy 3-0-17-0.

South Africa 262-7 (50 overs) - De Villiers 73, Duminy 47, Du Plessis 46, Topley 4-50

South Africa won toss

Full scorecard

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AB de Villiers, wearing a green, floppy sunhat, tries to cajole his wilting troops in the late afternoon sunshine. There's not much he can say when Alex Hales goes for an expansive drive against Kagiso Rabada and the ball flies off the toe of the bat and for four. Smile and nod.

Geoffrey Boycott
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

Image source, Getty Images

"I think Eoin Morgan has brought himself in, not just for the right-hand/left-hand combination, but because he fancies taking on the leg-spinner."

So, England need another 130 runs to win from 126 balls. Easy, right?

Neil Manthorp
BBC Test Match Special

"There's a massive difference playing in the coastal areas of South Africa, which isn't often appreciated."

Eng 132-2 (Morgan 9 off 5)published at 28.2 overs

28.2 overs

Eoin Morgan plays a golf-like shot to smash Imran Tahir back down the ground for six. Disdainfully beautiful.

Andrew Mills: Proper cricket going on here, a series with a mixture of ridiculous high scores and also tight bowler-led games = perfection.

Alex Hales has been strong behind the wicket today - scoring 27 of his runs between point and third man. That includes a delicate chop for four beyond the sprawling third man who is up in the circle. Intelligent batting.

Stuart Mitchell: For this approach to work, Hales has to bat through or at least see it through to a point where England are unlikely to lose.

Thanks Mitch. Boiling up nicely this, isn't it?

Selfless from Eoin Morgan, by the way. He's taken responsibility for the difficult situation here - whereas in the last game, he recognised how destructive Jos Buttler could be on the flat track in Bloemfontein.

There's a match-sealing century on offer for Alex Hales too. Just a single from Imran Tahir's latest set of six.

Garan Jones: England doing the right thing keeping wickets intact - they have destructive batsmen down the order who can change everything.

England opt against promoting Jos Buttler as they did in Bloemfontein - it's a little early, so they stick with captain Eoin Morgan, their regular number four, who defends his first ball.

And we're just past the halfway point - having kept wickets in hand and set a platform for England's run chase, it's time for me to hand over to today's "finisher", Marc Higginson.

Vic Marks
Ex-England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

"It skidded on to him, he was trying to run it down to third man, he got a fair bit of bat on it but only deflected it on to his stumps. Root played an old style one-day innings, doing it in a discreet manner. Boundaries are hard to come by. The game is in the balance."

Duminy, bearded and bowling in sunglasses, continues to operate round the wicket. England milk him for five singles - reaching "Nelson" (111) - but umpire Cloete isn't impressed by an lbw appeal against Root. SA have already wasted their review - and the ball-tracker shows it might have clipped the top of the stumps.

Meanwhile, Simon Mann on TMS has given away one of today's football scores - rest assured we won't (in case you want to save yourselves for Match of the Day), but should you wish to follow the afternoon's football, you can do so here - or take in the start of the Six Nations here.

Vic Marks
Ex-England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

"The feature so far in this England performance has been the discipline, with both the bowling and so far the batting. A way to go yet but they are well placed."

Morkel takes a rest as South Africa turn to opening bowler Kyle Abbott, who impressed early on and has taken the only wicket of the innings so far. We've not had many boundaries lately, but Hales eases the pressure - if there was any - by hoisting a four over wide mid-on. 157 needed from 156 balls.