Cricket: Ton-up Hash scripts fairy-tale century as South Africa take control at the Wanderers

Don’t ever drop Hashim Amla. No matter who you play for, that’s the best advice you’ll get when you come up against South Africa and have the unfortunate task of having to bowl to a Hashim Amla in form.

When Sri Lanka’s Dhananjaya de Silva put down Amla just before lunch on day one of the third Test against South Africa, that advice would have been nagging at them even if, by Amla’s impeccable standards, he’d been going through a bit of a lean patch. Amla had managed a mere five runs. He’d faced just 19 balls, scratching and prodding his way around under overcast skies. Even when the teams returned after the break, Amla still looked uneasy.

For selectors, the advice about dropping Amla is pretty much the same as it is for teams: don’t do it. Fortunately for South Africa’s Test team selectors, they didn’t need that advice over the last few months, even if his average in 2015 (22.81) and 2016 (48.60) was lower than it had been since 2009.

But these numbers belie the bigger picture. Despite that lower average, he did still score three 50s and two 100s in the nine Tests he played in 2016.

But Amla is also about more than just averages and runs. His influence on the team and his experience in the middle far outweighs blips in form. It’s what you’d expect from a guy who has played 100 Tests for his country. He’s been there, done that and never be overwhelmed by any occasion, so it’s really no surprise that the guy who was scratching around uneasily in the first hour of play ended the day unbeaten 125 with South Africa in control on 338-3 at stumps.

That those runs came from 221 balls is in stark contrast to his first 50 of the day – which was pieced together from 109 balls. But that’s the beauty of Amla. He is as adaptable as his wrists are flexible. His second 50, the one that would take him to a milestone 100, came off just 60 balls.

At the other side, with a front row seat to all the action, was JP Duminy who had scored a fine 100 of his own as South Africa continued to stamp their dominance on a deflated Sri Lankan team. Duminy’s role in this feat should not be underestimated. He sheltered Amla from pressure early on and kept the scoreboard ticking over while allowing his batting partner to settle in.

But whatever nerves Amla had would not have been down to the occasion. He is always unperturbed by things bubbling outside of his batting and even with all the hullabaloo around him and this occasion, he just gets on with things. Even if CSA somehow managed to write 2016 instead of 2017 on his “special shirt”, he was probably too polite to say anything. And while he will no doubt quietly reflect on his achievement – both the milestone of a ton of Tests and the runs – he will just get on with things again tomorrow.

But moments like these also allow time to reflect for those who observe and enjoy sport and while Amla’s on-field achievements are in a class of their own, he is much more than a stalwart of the game. He’s more than just the first player to score 300 runs for South Africa and only the second South African to score 100 in his hundredth Test. Since first making his debut in 2004, Amla has redefined the macho culture which so often dominates sport, not just in South Africa, but internationally too.

He is the perfect example of what it means to be graceful while being resolute in your convictions. Amla has shown that you don’t have to be the same to fit in. He’s a picture of calm, even in the most challenging circumstances, and has been instrumental in redefining the culture of the South African team. On the field he has made history in ways few others will and if cricket museums decided to start takings casts of wrists as memorabilia, his would be right at the top of the list. Amla is the perfect ambassador not just for cricket and South Africa, but for what it means to be a good egg.

He’s meticulous. Marvellous. Magical. Mighty Hash. DM

Photo: Hashim Amla of South Africa receives award for his 100th Test cricket match during the International Test Series 2016/17 match between South Africa and Sri Lanka at Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg South Africa on 12 January 2017 ©Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix