Agence France-Presse
Cape Town, Jan 4: Steven Finn (1/68) broke a defiant partnership of 183 runs when he had AB de Villiers (88, 211, 12×4, 1×6) caught shortly before tea on the third day of the second Test between South Africa and England at Newlands here Monday. South Africa were 290 for three at tea, still 339 runs behind England’s first innings total of 629 for six declared with Hashim Amla (132 batting 269b, 17×4).
This is Amla’s first Test century since he made 208 against the West Indies in Centurion in December 2014. Giving him company was Faf du Plessis (15 batting). Amla was dropped by James Anderson at slip off Joe Root when he was on 76 and by Nick Compton at backward point off Finn when he had made 120.
Both men batted solidly for the most part but had anxious moments. Amla managed to get his bat down just in time after Finn deflected a drive by De Villiers into the stumps at the bowler’s end.
De Villiers was given out leg before wicket to Ben Stokes by umpire Aleem Dar when he had 85 but De Villiers immediately sought a review which showed the ball had gone off an inside edge onto his pad.
De Villiers scored only three more runs before he pulled a short ball from Finn hard but straight to Anderson at mid-wicket.
Amla, who had averaged 15.00 in his previous 10 Test innings batted solidly apart from his two chances, reaching his 24th Test century off 214 balls when he hit the 16th four of his innings.
