Cricket Classics - Part XXXIX : Hashim Amla’s 311 vs England (2012 Oval Test)

Hello, fellow Sports Enthusiasts,

Cricket is not just a sport between two teams; it's a battle of skills, strategy, and capitalizing on clutch moments. Although the game has transformed over the decades, it has never failed to impress or leave us with unforgettable moments.

So, through this series, I will present some of the most iconic cricket matches that have made fans jump out of their seats. Let's remember those legendary games once a week. I am with another iconic match.

Made by leonardo.ai

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From 2009 to 2016, South Africa was dominant, especially in Test Cricket under the captaincy of Graeme Smith. You will see the reason for that when you see their squad, and Hashim Amla is a man at the top in that era. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen to play this game, and his classic style is a treat to watch. He has 45+ batting averages and 25+ centuries in both ODIs and Test matches. After all these years, he is still the Fastest player to reach 3K, 4K, 5K, 6K, and 7K runs in ODIs. So, let's see about one of his best knocks.

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It was in 2012, and South Africa travelled to England for a big series of 3 Tests, 5 ODIs, and 3 T20Is. At the time, England ranked at the top in the ICC test ranking, and SA was desperately looking to reclaim it, which they did.

The first Test match was held at The Oval, from July 19 - 23, 201. The SA team was led by Graeme Smith with a combination of players like Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, AB, Duminy, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Imran Tahir, etc. It was just a scary squad. On the other hand England team was captained by Andrew Strauss with Cook, Trott, KP, Ian Bell, Broad, Anderson, Graeme Swann, etc. Well, it's a head-to-head combination, and being at home, the series was finely balanced.

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Winning the toss and choosing to bat, England couldn't get the perfect start, as the captain was trapped on the fourth ball. Anyhow, with a century from Cook, and fifties from Jonathan Trott and Matt Prior, they could put in a total of 385 runs in 125 overs. It was a comfortable total to start with, Morne Morkel did a big damage, taking 4 wickets.

Same way, SA also lost an opener for a duck. But what came next was just a magical show. Hashim Amla joined Smith to execute their known elegance. Both of them were untroubled, calm, and patient, playing late, finding gaps, and tearing down England’s attack session by session. For the second wicket, these two added 259 runs, after Smith was gone for 131 runs in 237 balls. He scored 20 fours in his innings.

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Then Kallis, the most complete Cricketer of all time, came to the crease. Once again, these two started to toy with England ballers. They rotated the strike while finishing the loose balls. After playing for 189 overs, more than 2 days, SA decided to declare the innings for 637/2. Meanwhile, Amla was still on strike, scoring,

• 311 off 529 balls*
• 35 fours
• 186 overs and 2 balls

He became the first South African to score a triple century in Test cricket. After 13 years, Wiaan Mulder surpassed it in 2025. Kallis also did an amazing job scoring 182 runs in 326 balls.

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Being 252 runs behind, England was aiming for a draw more than a win, with less than one and a half days remaining. But SA ballers were too good. They insert the pressure while taking regular wickets. Wickets started to fall, while Ian Bell tried so hard to survive, scoring 55 runs in 220 balls. England were bowled out cheaply in the second innings, and South Africa won by an innings and 12 runs.

SA won the series as well 2-0, and also reacrowned as the No.1 Test team in the world.

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See you at the next episode!! You can always suggest a match to discuss in the next episode.

src - ESPNcricinfo
wikipedia

Thank you.
Best Regards!