Crickter Hashim Amla has become the first South African to pass 300 runs in an innings
HASHIM Amla turned the first Test against England on its head yesterday as he became the first South African to pass 300 runs in an innings and laid the foundation for a remarkable push for victory.
Amla bettered the previous best score by a South African - 278 by team mate AB de Villiers, and became only the sixth person to score a test triple hundred in England following Don Bradman, Leonard Hutton, John Edrich, Bobby Simpson and Graham Gooch.
“I didn’t dream about getting 300, although you would love to,” Amla told reporters at the end of the fourth day.
“I’ve always been a person who never sets goals and I think that helps, because you can keep going and going without being limited by having set something up.
“With my scoring rate, 300 is usually a very long way off so it only really crossed my mind when I got to 250. I was involved in the game when AB got 278, so I was aware of it, but if I had got out before that, so be it. I’m a firm believer you have just got to keep batting.”
Amla, 29, is a devout Muslim and although it is the holy month of Ramadan, he said he will observe the fast when he returns home to Durban. For now, he is just enjoying the moment.
“I’m just really grateful that I managed to get the highest score by a South African, but what is perhaps more pleasing is that I’m the first guy to get 300 — records will be broken, there’s no doubt about that, so that comes and goes. But I think the biggest pleasure is that the team is in a really dominant position to win this test match. I think that’s the biggest joy.”
Amla drove Tim Bresnan up and over extra cover for four to pass this unique mark. It was his 35th four of the innings of 515 balls, having been at the crease for close to 13 hours.
- South Africa declared at 637 for two, a lead of 252 after a day of record-breaking batting.
Then a brilliant display of fast bowling on a flat pitch and a great spell by Imran Tahir left England struggling at 102 for four.
- Additional reporting by Reuters
Hashim Amla sets South African record
Crickter Hashim Amla has become the first South African to pass 300 runs in an innings
HASHIM Amla turned the first Test against England on its head yesterday as he became the first South African to pass 300 runs in an innings and laid the foundation for a remarkable push for victory.
Amla bettered the previous best score by a South African - 278 by team mate AB de Villiers, and became only the sixth person to score a test triple hundred in England following Don Bradman, Leonard Hutton, John Edrich, Bobby Simpson and Graham Gooch.
“I didn’t dream about getting 300, although you would love to,” Amla told reporters at the end of the fourth day.
“I’ve always been a person who never sets goals and I think that helps, because you can keep going and going without being limited by having set something up.
“With my scoring rate, 300 is usually a very long way off so it only really crossed my mind when I got to 250. I was involved in the game when AB got 278, so I was aware of it, but if I had got out before that, so be it. I’m a firm believer you have just got to keep batting.”
Amla, 29, is a devout Muslim and although it is the holy month of Ramadan, he said he will observe the fast when he returns home to Durban. For now, he is just enjoying the moment.
“I’m just really grateful that I managed to get the highest score by a South African, but what is perhaps more pleasing is that I’m the first guy to get 300 — records will be broken, there’s no doubt about that, so that comes and goes. But I think the biggest pleasure is that the team is in a really dominant position to win this test match. I think that’s the biggest joy.”
Amla drove Tim Bresnan up and over extra cover for four to pass this unique mark. It was his 35th four of the innings of 515 balls, having been at the crease for close to 13 hours.
Then a brilliant display of fast bowling on a flat pitch and a great spell by Imran Tahir left England struggling at 102 for four.
- Additional reporting by Reuters
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