Blow by blow: A perfect day for Hashim Amla and the Proteas

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17.27: Poor debutant Duanne Olivier has been sent in as nightwatchman. Talk about a baptism of fire. Anyway, he survives and the Proteas end the day on 338/3, with Hashim Amla on 125.

17.17: OUT! What a shame. Duminy tries to do much of the same, but this time finds the fielder. He’s out for a splendid 155. SA 337/3.

17.15: This is a truly magnificent innings from JP Duminy. He reaches his 150 with a silky glide to third man and can’t be praised enough for how he’s shepherded Amla in this innings. SA 337/2.

16.53: A relatively quiet period now as Duminy (143) and Amla (118) look to wind down an excellent day’s work. SA 318/2.

16.28: 300 up for South Africa. You almost can’t believe the start was so slow! SA 302/2.

16.23: There it is! A thumping charge down the wicket off Rangana Herath takes Amla past 100. He becomes the eighth player in history to score a 100 in his 1ooth Test. Magical stuff. SA 296/2.

16.08: It’s now becoming ugly for the Sri Lankans. JP Duminy has cruised to 125, while Hashim Amla is suddenly in sight of a century on 93. SA 275/2.

15.38: Amla is finally playing some confident drives again. One of them reaches the boundary to take his fourth-wicket partnership with Duminy to 202. SA 247/2.

15.17: This has been a splendid effort from JP Duminy, a sixth Test century off only 140 deliveries. SA 215/2.

15.11: 200 up for the Proteas!

14.43: There we go! It was painful to watch at times but Hashim Amla has his first score over 50 for 11 Test innings. He’ll go to tea a happy (and relieved) man. JP Duminy is on 87. SA 193/2.

14.07: JP Duminy’s 12th four takes the Proteas past 150. SA 152/2.

14.00: And a century stand for Hashim Amla in his 100th Test. It’s still being dominated by Duminy though. SA 145/2.

13.44: First drinks break after lunch. Duminy is silky on 56 and even Hashim Amla is starting to look a tad more comfortable on 19. SA 133/2.

13.17: 50 for JP Duminy. Except for the edge through the slips to reach it, it’s been an excellent effort. 10 fours in the 62-ball effort. SA 114/2.

13.11: Finally, Hashim Amla’s first boundary! Took him merely 41 deliveries. Granted, he punished the gift from Nuwan Pradeep ruthlessly. SA 104/2.

13.04: JP Duminy now in full flow. Brings up South Africa’s 100 with a sumptuous drive. SA 100/2.

13.01: 50 partnership between Amla and Duminy. Well, Duminy… SA 95/2.

12.58: Lunch is over and Hashim Amla continues to scratch. He hasn’t added to his score yet. Meanwhile, JP Duminy – who came in after him – is already on 31. SA 87/2.

12.02: The Mighty Hash’s innings has been painful to watch. He’ll go to lunch on six and was dropped in the last over before the lunch break. The confidence outside off-stump is not there. SA 79/2.

11.33: But now he is. A quick single from a defensive prod.

11.32: South Africa go past a painful 50. Hashim Amla still isn’t off the mark.

11.25: Oh, and this was Hashim Amla’s 100th Test moment…

Hashim Amla's (@amlahash) moment, walking out to a hearty applause. #SAvSL #Amla100 @TheCitizenSport pic.twitter.com/jxCWPoIHYX

— Heinz Schenk (@sportmal) January 12, 2017

11.22: GONE! One brings two (again!). Lahiru Kumara has really impressed since starting at Newlands. Extra bounce confounds Dean Elgar, who plays a nasty waft that gets the edge. SA 45/2.

11.16: OUT! Cook is trapped in front by the gentle medium pace of Angelo Mathews. It’s plumb but he reviews and seemed to have a case for a n0-ball. But these things are always tight… SA 45/1.

10.47: It’s taken 11 overs for the Proteas to hit their first boundary. It is a lovely, crisp straight drive from Dean Elgar though. SA 21/0.

10.25: Ironically, it seems Faf du Plessis’ decision to bat was a good one. Not much alarm for the openers. SA 11/0.

10.07: The first over is completed. It certainly was a testing one for Stephen Cook against the ever-willing Suranga Lakmal, but the Proteas opener ends it with a three off the last ball. SA 3/0.

9.35: Here are the teams:

Proteas: Stephen Cook, Dean Elgar, Hashim Amla, JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock, Vernon Philander, Wayne Parnell, Kagiso Rabada, Duanne Olivier.

Sri Lanka: Dimuth Karunaratne, Kaushal Silva, Kusal Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Upul Tharanga, Rangana Herath, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep, Lahiru Kumara.

9.33: South Africa go for a four-man pace attack, meaning Duanne Olivier of the Knights makes his debut.

9.30: Welcome to the Wanderers, where Faf du Plessis has won the toss in the third Test and chose to bat. Interesting choice.

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