best of sports: South Africa v England

South Africa 219-5 (18 overs) So that's presumably the end of Mahmood's spell - one wicket, 61 runs.

Wicket! South Africa 214-5 (Kallis 7 b Mahmood) Good ball from Mahmood as Kallis swings and misses.

South Africa 211-4 (17 overs) Two new batsmen at the crease now, AB de Villiers and Jacques Kallis.

Wicket! South Africa 204-4 (Bosman 94 c Anderson b Wright)What a shame, a brilliant innings brought to an end by another great England catch, as Anderson covers a lot of ground to run in and take it from another full toss.

Wicket! South Africa 203-3 (Duminy 2 c Wright b Anderson)Anderson returns, and Bosman gobbles up the bowling with glee; as the bowler tries to slow it down, the batsman's power piles the pace on. Duminy falls in an attempt to keep up with his partner, playing high into the air and straight down into Luke Wright's hands.

South Africa 195-2 (15 overs) The commentators are speculating that England may not get through their overs in time, resulting in a fine for Alastair Cook. That would just top off his day nicely, wouldn't it?

Wicket! South Africa 192-2 (Morkel 14 c Bresnan b Pietersen)Too many full tosses in this over, but it's a low one that loops into the hands of Bresnan, who takes a great catch.

South Africa 179-1 (14 overs) A wicket and two dot balls in the over - not a bad return from Denly's first.

Wicket! South Africa 170-1 (Smith 88 c Mahmood b Denly)Smith toe-ends it and Saj Mahmood takes the catch. Cook's plan to take the pace off the ball by bowling the part-timers has worked. Probably a little too late.

South Africa 170-0 (13 overs): Kevin Pietersen, in his international return, gets the chance to turn his arm over, conceding a six and a four to Bosman, but that's relatively good on this afternoon's evidence so far.

South Africa 157-0 (12 overs): "Catch it!" comes to the cry to Pietersen at deep midwicket, but Bosman is fortunate that he found the gap in the field. By the way, this is now a record stand for any country in Twenty20 internationals, which probably isn't a great surprise to you. This is tremendous batting.

South Africa 138-0 (11 overs): Some more bat-changing shenanigans, this time for Bosman, as Wright quenches that inferno of a run-rate. Slightly.

South Africa 131-0 (10 overs): Two more sixes for Smith as Bresnan attempts to rescue his figures for today. Paul Collingwood and Andrew Strauss are sitting on the sidelines looking vaguely amused and appalled.

South Africa 116-0 (9 overs): So both batsmen now race on to 50 - Bosman off just 25 balls.

South Africa 107-0 (8 overs): After two successive sixes from Smith, one low, one high, Adil Rashid thinks he's made the breakthrough, with Prior stumping Smith as he struggles to keep his balance at the crease. Repeat viewing proves that Smith's back foot was grounded, and the third umpire confirms that decision. A single gets him off strike and Bosman rounds off the over with two sixes of his own.

South Africa 82-0 (7 overs):Graeme Smith has to change his bat. It's taken a pounding so far. It's Bosman who hits Mahmood for a one-bounce four then a scoreboard-bound six, though.

South Africa 69-0 (6 overs): Luke Wright gets his turn in the firing line (presumably Jimmy Anderson is being saved until the death) and he doesn't manage to staunch the flow of runs. However, he attempts a reflex catch as Smith spits the ball back at him from close range, and finishes the over with a yorker.

South Africa 51-0 (5 overs): Bresnan's not having a lot more luck; he's erring on the full side and Smith is taking advantage. Luke Wright makes a despairing dive but he can't prevent a six from Bosman, and that's the fifty up already.

South Africa 35-0 (4 overs): Time for a bit of Saj Mahmood, who gives away successive fours to Smith, and then offers up another off a front-foot no-ball. And then he proceeds to york Smith off the free-hit, which obviously doesn't count. Cook is moving round the field and everybody is throwing a collective hissy fit. Then another no-ball, and a six off the free hit. That makes it 21 off the over. Nick Knight calls this over "a microcosm of Saj Mahmood's career so far - lots of runs and then a wicket." This is not the most settled England side I've ever seen. But really, calm down, the lot of you, there's a long way to go yet.

South Africa 14-0 (3 overs): Bosman pounces right on to Anderson with a belted one-bounce four, and the slips promptly move out. That's more successful - just a single each after that.

South Africa 8-0 (2 overs): A less good start from Tim Bresnan, who begins short and gets the just punishment from Smith, pulling him square for four. He tries a stifled appeal for lbw against Bosman but it was too high and everyone knew it.

South Africa 2-0 (1 over): Good start there from Anderson, just one run and one wide.

12.30pm: The teams are out, KP is resplendent in sunglasses, the batsmen are stretching, and the umpire delays for a bit as Graeme Smith gets his sight sorted out before calling play and allowing Jimmy Anderson to open the bowling.

12.25pm: Concerned about the weather at Centurion? So am I. David Lloyd reports that there are already storms a few miles down the road in Johannesburg and they are expected to hit Supersport Park later.

12.20pm: Good afternoon, everybody, and without further ado let's look at the team news -

South Africa: Graeme Smith (capt), Loots Bosman, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Albie Morkel, Ryan McLaren, Heino Kuhn (wkt), Roelof van der Merwe, Dale Steyn, Yusuf Abdulla.

England: Joe Denly, Alastair Cook (capt), Kevin Pietersen, Jonathan Trott, Eoin Morgan, Matt Prior (wkt), Luke Wright, Tim Bresnan, Adil Rashid, Sajid Mahmood, James Anderson.

Graeme Smith has won the toss against new captain Alastair Cook, and South Africa will bat first.

11.30am: Kevin Pietersen will play in England's second Twenty20 international with South Africa at Centurion today, the ECB have announced.

Alastair Cook will captain the side after Paul Collingwood was ruled out due to a stiff back.

The Durham all-rounder woke up with the problem yesterday after leading his side to victory in the first 20-over encounter between the two sides on Friday.

He faced a late fitness test this morning which he failed, while no early decision was made on James Anderson (knee) and Graeme Swann (side).

Source:The times