Devine dropped on 45published at 10.5 overs

10.5 overs

NZ 99-0

As Isabelle Westbury and Lydia Greenway conclude on TMS that only a run-out looks likely to break this partnership, Devine whacks the ball back at the bowler - it streaks through the air like a tracer bullet and Luus gets a hand to it, so we have to put that down as a drop, but it looks to have hurt her and she gets a visit from the physio.

Phil Long
TMS statistician

These teams haven't met often, but this is already a T20 record partnership for any wicket by New Zealand against South Africa.

50 for Suzie Batespublished at 10.2 overs

10.2 overs

NZ 97-0

It's leg-spin from both ends with Sune Luus into the attack - Luus tends to give it a bit more air than Van Niekerk, and her first ball is despatched to cow corner for four by Bates. A two to mid-wicket brings her a half-century from 34 balls.

Image source, Getty Images

Charlotte Edwards
Ex-England captain on BBC 5 live sports extra

200's on here. I wish Dane van Niekerk would bowl herself more - she was the fifth or sixth bowler in the ODIs, but her record speaks for herself and she's threatening in this form of the game.

Captain Dane van Niekerk, spinning the ball from hand to hand (as I believe it's compulsory for leg-spinners to do) has an lbw appeal against Devine from her first ball, but it looked to be going down leg side. Devine won't break her record for the fastest 50 today, but she's well on the way as she plunders a three. At the rate NZ are going, SA will be pleased to get away with just six from the skipper's first over.

Charlotte Edwards
Ex-England captain on BBC 5 live sports extra

Taunton used to be the home of women's cricket - England always used to have at least one international here, the players feel comfortable here.

A lively atmosphere at Taunton, as it always is for limited-overs games - Devine and Bates both hammer Mali down the ground for fours towards the white picket fence in front of the Colin Atkinson Pavilion at long-off.

New Zealand are absolutely motoring.

Image source, Rex Features

Charlotte Edwards
Ex-England captain on BBC 5 live sports extra

South Africa are undervaluing the position of the wicketkeeper. Lizelle Lee has enough on her plate opening the batting, and considering their spin options, they need someone they can trust behind the stumps or it's going to cost them.

Devine dropped on 33published at 8 overs

8 overs

NZ 76-0

Uh-oh - replays show there was a drop behind the stumps just after that six, as Lizelle Lee was unable to gather what might have been a faint edge from Devine. Bates joins in the fun with a four off the first ball.

NZ 69-0published at 7.3 overs

7.3 overs

Bates 32, Devine 35

Ntozakhe tries bowling round the wicket to the two right-handers - but Devine goes down on one knee and bludgeons her into the back row of the seats in front of the Ondaatje Pavilion behind mid-wicket. A monster six. Devine is going along even quicker than her captain, mixing power with craft as she finesses a two to move to 35 from 20 balls.

Raf Nicholson: Suzie Bates and Sophie Devine - surely the most mouthwatering opening partnership in world cricket.

Image source, Rex Features

With the six-over fielding restrictions lifted, South Africa can at least give their bowlers a little more protection from now on. This is a better over from Mali - the fielders back her up, and just five singles are taken.

Charlotte Edwards
Ex-England captain on BBC 5 live sports extra

I'm not a huge fan of team nicknames. I know it works for New Zealand with the White Ferns, Silver Ferns etc - but Australia have just stopped being called the Southern Stars. We could never really come up with anything for England - the Blue Lions?

It's a good crowd in, considering this is a New Zealand-South Africa game. Looks promising for this evening.

Off-spinner (and spell-checker's nightmare) Raisibe Ntozakhe into the attack. Devine, who still holds the record for the quickest fifty in women's T20 internationals (18 balls against India back in 2005), hammers a wide loosener for four through the covers.

Charlotte Edwards
Ex-England captain on BBC 5 live sports extra

I know how hard Sophie Devine hits the ball - I was working with the Adelaide Strikers last winter and standing at the end of the net, she hit one back and I had to put a board up in front of my face!

They're bringing on the off-spinner - off-spin against Devine is a risk.

Image source, Rex Features

This will go down on the scorecard as Devine's first boundary, despite hitting that five earlier - Mali overpitches and Devine powerfully pulls her for four, before blasting four more through extra cover. Wow.

South Africa: Lizelle Lee (wk), Laura Wolvaardt, Tazmin Brits, Dane van Niekerk (capt), Marizanne Kapp, Mignon du Preez, Stacey Lackay, Suné Luus, Shabnim Ismail, Zintle Mali, Raisibe Ntozakhe.

New Zealand: Suzie Bates (capt), Sophie Devine, Katey Martin (wk), Amy Satterthwaite, Maddy Green, Amelia Kerr, Peterson, Rowe, Kasperek, Jensen, Lea Tahuhu.

Zintle Mali replaces Kapp at the River End - despite her height, the sight of Lizelle Lee standing up to the stumps indicates that despite her height, Mali is a medium-pacer rather than a quick. Skipper Bates swipes a two over the vacant slip area, and moves to 25 from 20 balls with a single.

Phil Long
TMS statistician

These two teams' previous T20 international meetings have all come on neutral soil - including a couple here at Taunton, they've also played at places like Galle and Sylhet.

Bates cracks a full Ismail delivery back past the bowler and down to the new Somerset Pavilion for four, while Bates threads a well-run three through the covers. Tazmin Brits - whose athletic prowess extends to having won a gold medal in javelin at the World Youth Championships - just cuts off the boundary.

We commented during the ODI series about how Lizelle Lee is not a regular wicketkeeper - when Devine swings and misses, Lee can't take the ball cleanly and they run a bye.

Image source, Rex Features