Amla is all smiles after scoring his 26th Test century

Image courtesy of: Zimbio

Hashim Amla scored an unbeaten 125 in his 100th Test match, while JP Duminy made 155 as South Africa tormented Sri Lanka on the first day of the third Test in Johannesburg.

With his hundred, Amla joined an elite club as he became only the eighth player in Test history to make a century in his 100th Test match. The other seven players to have accomplished this rare feat include Colin Cowdrey, Javed Miandad, Gordon Greenidge, Alec Stewart, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Ricky Ponting, who made back-to-back hundreds, and Graeme Smith.

Furthermore, Amla brought his rough patch of form with the bat to an end as prior to this match, he had not made a fifty in his last 10 Test innings.

Electing to bat first, South Africa got off to a solid start as openers Dean Elgar and Stephen Cook amassed a 45-run partnership before the Proteas lost two wickets in quick succession.

Cook was trapped lbw off the bowling of Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews for 10, while Elgar was dismissed by Lahiru Kumara for 27.

That was to be Sri Lanka’s last taste of success for a lengthy period of time as Amla and Duminy amassed a 292-run stand, during which both of them surpassed their centuries, to put the Proteas in total command.

Sri Lanka tried to do everything in their power to break the partnership, but it was no good as Amla and Duminy kept the scoreboard ticking.

It wasn’t until the penultimate over of the day that the tourists finally got the breakthrough they so sorely needed as Duminy was caught by Kusal Mendis at second slip off the bowling of Kumara.

Duminy’s spectacular knock of 155 came off 221 balls and included 19 boundaries.

Duminy is delighted upon bringing up his sixth Test hundred

Image courtesy of: Zimbio

With Duminy having fallen to close to the end of the day, Amla and debutant Duanne Olivier, who was sent in as the nightwatchman, only managed to put together a one-run partnership before stumps was called.

Amla finished on 125 off 221 balls, which included 16 boundaries, while Olivier has yet to get off the mark.

Kumara was the pick of the bowlers with two wickets, while Mathews claimed one.

South Africa ended day one on 338/3 and will continue batting on Friday at 10:00 local time or 08:00 GMT.