Amla washes away 2015 troubles
Hashim Amla washed away all the troubles of 2015 with a welcome return to form as he reached his 24th Test hundred.
|||Cape Town - This is what Proteas fans waited 383 days for - a Hashim Amla Test hundred.
South African captain Amla washed away all the troubles of 2015 with a welcome return to form as he reached his 24th Test hundred against England on day three of the second Test at Newlands on Monday.
The Proteas have made a significant progress in their attempt to save the game as they ended on 353/3 off 130 overs, still 276 behind England but well on their way to avoiding the follow-on and a defeat, with Amla unbeaten on 157 (371 balls, 21x4) and Faf du Plessis 51 not out (115 balls, 6x4).
A measured approach from Amla, AB de Villiers and later Du Plessis saw the South Africans score 212 runs off 87 overs as they overcame their batting scars from the Indian tour and the first England Test at Kingsmead.
It was a far cry from the carnage witnessed on Sunday, where Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow clobbered the Proteas attack for 312 runs in just 38.5 overs. But considerating the fragile batting performances from the South Africans in 2015, coach Russell Domingo wouldn’t have minded the slowish run-rate of 2.4 on Monday.
His batsmen needed to regain their form, and they did that in no uncertain terms. Amla did have three lives during his innings, including two on Monday - on 76 and 120 - but fate seems to have turned in the Proteas’ favour in the New Year after a wretched 2015.
Amla was put down by James Anderson at slip off Joe Root, and later by Nick Compton at point in a very difficult chance off Steven Finn.
But he put that behind him as he mixed stout defence with wristy flicks off his pads and drives down the ground. He brought up his first hundred since his 208 against the West Indies at Centurion in December 2014 off 214 balls, and raised his bat quietly, almost in relief after the pressures of captaincy and a lack of form weighed heavily on his shoulders.
Amla’s main goal was to occupy the crease for as long as possible, and he managed to bat out a full day, going to his seventh score of 150 and above in what was his fifth Test century against England.
De Villiers wasn’t his usual fluent self in getting to his 39th half-century, but provided valuable support to his captain in a third-wicket partnership of 183 off 414 balls in just over five hours.
The world’s best batsmen meekly surrendered when just 12 short of what would’ve been his 22nd Test hundred when he dragged a Finn long-hop to Anderson at midwicket for 88 (211 balls, 12x4, 1x6).
The Proteas nearly lost two wickets in two balls as Du Plessis got a thick outside edge to Finn - who was England’s best bowler on the day - with the ball dropping just short of third slip and ran away to the boundary.
The right-hander has been feeling the heat after a string of low scores, but knuckled down during a testing period of bowling from the likes of Anderson, Finn and Ben Stokes.
He eventually started to find his groove, with one particular authoritative pull off Stokes through backward square looking like the old Du Plessis.
He ended the day by reaching his eighth half-century, and will look to kick on during Tuesday in trying to whittle down England’s lead.
Amla and Domingo would want to grind England into the ground for another hot day on Tuesday to secure a draw and go into the last two Tests in Johannesburg and Centurion with the team’s confidence fully restored and a chance of winning the series.
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ashfak.mohamed@inl.co.za
@IndyCapeSport