South Africa v England, 1st Test, Day 4 - Hashim Amla frustrates us again

12.1: Stokes to Amla, no run, back of a length, this zips through outside off as Amla leaves well alone.

12.2: Stokes to Amla, no run, gets across and defends solidly on off.

12.3: Stokes to Amla, no run, length delivery, 131kph and thudding into the bat as Amla plays back.

12.4: Stokes to Amla, no run, angled in and struck on the thigh trying to work to leg.

12.5: Stokes to Amla, FOUR, runs for the Mighty Hash, he waves his wand and middles a short, wide ball through the covers to get off the mark.

12.6: Stokes to Amla, no run, fullish length, enticing Amla forwards, he gets out but raises the bat away as the ball tails back outside off - that is tea, with the pot boiling nicely.

 14.1: Broad to Amla, no run, full outside off, met with a very solid forward defensive from Amla.

14.2: Broad to Amla, no run, tight at off stump, he's walking forward a little into this defensive push back to the bowler.

14.3: Broad to Amla, 2 runs, short of a length outside off, opens the face a touch and it runs through backward point.

14.4: Broad to Amla, no run, fuller again, outside off, defended to the covers.

14.5: Broad to Amla, no run, a touch further up to the bat again, Amla opts to defend rather than drive.

14.6: Broad to Amla, FOUR, that's a statement! Dropped a fraction short from Broad and he responds with a rasping pull over midwicket.

 16.5: Broad to Amla, 1 run, full at off stump, takes a thick inside edge into the leg side.

17.1: Ali to Amla, 1 run, onto the back foot straightaway and works the delivery from off stump through the leg side...the sort of shot that gave Graeme Swann nightmares at The Oval in 2012.

18.1: Broad to Amla, no run, a meaty back-foot punch to a short-of-a-length delivery, Finn gets around from mid-off and although he can't stop it cleanly Amla declines the single.

18.2: Broad to Amla, no run, full this time, outside off, a nicely-timed drive straight to cover who is fairly deep and almost lured Amla into what would have been a risky single.

18.3: Broad to Amla, no run, finds the middle of the bat again, back foot drive this occasion, but again finds cover.

18.4: Broad to Amla, no run, fuller, outside off, left alone.

18.5: Broad to Amla, no run, cover is having a busy time at the moment, Amla comes forward into a drive and finds the man again.

18.6: Broad to Amla, no run, not much bounce from this delivery, full outside off and it barely reaches Bairstow on the full

20.1: Finn to Amla, no run, a very small appeal for lbw, angling into leg stump from a good length.

20.2: Finn to Amla, OUT, massive wicket! Not a great shot from Amla. Short of a length outside off, he flashed away from his body, not fully committed to the cut stroke and Bairstow takes the catch moving to his right.

Courtesy: Cricinfo

This was how Hashim Amla was playing the English bowlers before he got dismissed. He was looking confident at the crease. His foot was moving well, his back lift was high, he was leaving the ball well and got behind the line of the ball while executing the strokes especially, through the covers. He hit two boundaries and those were superbly timed off the back foot as his initial movement was backwards.

I thought he would go big, but from nowhere he executed a loose shot. Well, his horror run is continuing. AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis revived the memories of Adelaide, but Steve Finn’s delivery in-and-around the offstump was a beauty which forced Faf to play and thus, resulted in a wicket, a crucial breakthrough. England have been brilliant in fetching such breakthroughs and they are well poised to take a lead in the series.

South Africa’s hopes rest on AB de Villiers, but this England team is confident and determined than the host.  

Thank You

Faisal Caesar