South Africa successfully avoided the follow-on after tea on the fourth day of the second Castle Lager Test at Newlands on Sunday, and a draw now looks a certainty.
When bad light stopped play an hour-and-a-half after tea, South Africa had 427 for five, and still trailed New Zealand by 166.
It was a day on which Hashim Amla — playing in his fourth Test — scored his maiden Test century. Amla and Jacques Kallis resumed play on the overnight score of 155 for two, and put on a third-wicket partnership of 144 in just more than three hours before Kallis uncharacteristically mistimed a pull shot off Jacob Oram, only to be caught at mid-on by Chris Martin for 71.
Kallis scored his 40th Test 50 in a little more than two-and-a-half hours, and 10 runs later had more reason to celebrate as he notched up his 8 000th Test run. He has played 101 Tests, and scored 24 hundreds.
When Kallis went out, Amla was on 92, but he did not appear to be too affected by the departure of one of South Africa’s most experienced cricketers, and safely negotiated his way to 100 shortly before lunch. It had taken him five hours and six minutes, and he had faced 242 deliveries and hit 12 boundaries.
”It was quite a relief,” said Amla, who was dropped from the South African team after the second Test against England in Durban last year. ”I felt that I was under quite a lot of pressure and I was fortunate to have Boeta [Dippenaar] there, and then later, Jacques Kallis. He’s a fantastic influence at the crease — very calm and collected, and he helped me through some tough patches.”
He said that during his time out of the national team, he had worked on his technique, which many had criticised, but added he had not made any major changes. ”I spoke to several top coaches, and they all told me to keep it as natural as possible,” said Amla. ”When I’m batting, I try to concentrate on what I’m doing and stay as calm as I can. I always try to keep it simple.”
The bearded Amla looked so comfortable at the crease that many thought he would go on to score a double century, but he was given out leg before wicket to Daniel Vettori on 149. He and Ashwell Prince had put on 92 runs for the second wicket, in just more than two hours.
”I was disappointed to go out on 140 — no one wants to go out on 149,” he laughed. ”But I was happy with my first century. I hope it will be a long Test career, and maybe if I can score 50 centuries in my career, no one will question my technique.”
Prince was joined by AB de Villiers, and they appeared set to build up another substantial partnership, but in the last over before tea, De Villiers edged a delivery from Jeetan Patel to Michael Papps at mid-on, and was out for 13.
Mark Boucher and Prince began scoring more freely after tea, and safely negotiated the follow-on target of 394. There was a stiff south-easter blowing and the New Zealand bowlers were visibly tiring when the umpires offered South Africa the light at 4.30pm — nine overs early. Prince was not out on 70, and Boucher had 26. Their partnership was worth 66 runs.
With just one day left and the wicket looking increasingly benign, a result seems unlikely. ”It’s going to be hard work taking 15 wickets in 93 overs,” said New Zealand spinner Daniel Vettori after the match.
If the match is drawn, South Africa go into the third and final Test at the Wanderers next Friday with a 1-0 advantage. — Sapa