Here comes Gayle, striding out to the centre, a couple of taps of the pitch and he is ready. A huge roar from the crowd as his name is read out over the public address. Johnson Charles is his opening partner but the crowd are not really aware of him, though he will face the first ball from young paceman Kagiso Rabada. 

AB de Villiers is part of a four-man South Africa think-tank out in the centre, trying to formulate a South Africa fightback, but the facts are if they lose this game, it will be mightily difficult to reach the last four.

Paul, Basingstoke: Sitting on the beach in Negril, Jamaica, I didn't think it could get any better until I saw the score. Come on the Windies - party party here tonight.

But the cavalier left-hander has also made 17 single figure scores in his 47 previous T20 internationals. He has had a decent game with the ball though, whatever he makes with the bat today, and his 2-17 has put West Indies in charge. They are certainly top of the best celebrations of the tournament competition in any case. 

Gayle has also got an excellent record against the South Africans, averaging 50 from six matches against them, with two fifties and a top score of 117.

Thanks Stephan, well 123, Chris Gayle got more than that on his own for Somerset in the T20 Blast last summer, how is he going to approach this?

So, West Indies have done half a job. If they get the other bit done, it will be in England's hands tomorrow. Here's Jamie Lillywhite...

Richard Sanderson: We always get shown the highest successful run chases, but never show us the lowest defended totals, just as exciting!

West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell: "Starting well is always important, especially getting a guy out like Amla. We are not going to take 123 for granted, the wicket is holding and spinning so we have to be careful we get the runs. I think I went for seven runs too many but Bravo has been doing a great job and it is half the job done."

It's been brilliant from the Windies, reading the conditions and adapting. South Africa barely recovered from a poor start. Eoin Morgan, wearing his Chris Gayle pyjamas, should be very happy. 

South Africa 122-8 from 20 overs

Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Amla 1), 13-2 (Du Plessis 9), 20-3 (Rossouw 0), 46-4 (De Villiers 10), 47-5 (Miller 1), 97-6 (De Kock 47 from 46), 112-7 (Wiese 28), 122-8 (Phangiso 4)

Bowling figures: Badree 3-0-22-0, Russell 4-0-28-2, Gayle 3-0-17-2, Brathwaite 2-0-11-0, Benn 4-0-20-0, Bravo 3-0-16-2

Not out batsman: Morris 16  

Number of sixes: Two

Full scorecard

Nick Knight
Former England batsman

"South Africa will have to be at their very, very best to defend 122-8."

Daren Ganga
Former West Indies captain

"South Africa have not been able to hit boundaries, just eight fours and two sixes in the innings, they have not been able to adapt too well to the surface and the bowling of the West Indians."

Dwayne Bravo, the trickster, for the last over, yet another slower ball leaving Morris swiping at thin air. Do they not expect the slower ball by now. A Joe Root-esque reverse sweep makes contact, but it's only a single.

Daren Ganga
Former West Indies captain

"The West Indies will feel they have controlled the game all the way through."

Andre Russell for the 19th, skipper Darren Sammy moving his arms about like a man directing traffic. Still the Windies field well, still the slower balls stick in the pitch and refuse to travel on to the bat. Another brilliant over. South Africa have taken only 10 from 18 and 19.

Steve K

Aaron Phangiso is the new man, watching on as Bravo bowls exclusively slower balls. That's how he should be listed on his Cricinfo profile. Right-arm slower balls. Wonderful over. Six runs and a wicket from it. That's some effort in the 18th.