Amla hopes for more magic at favourite ground

Standard Bank Proteas batsman, Hashim Amla, hopes for a repeat of history in the third Test match against England starting at The Oval on Thursday. It is almost five years to the day of Amla’s record-breaking innings of 311, a marathon 13-hour masterclass that steered the Proteas to an innings and 12-run win in 2012. The 34-year-old’s innings has been hailed as one of the most memorable at the venue, which will become the fourth ground after Lord’s, the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) and the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) to host 100 Test matches. True to his nature, the star batsman reflects on the memorable team win, rather than the achievement of holding the record for the highest Test score by a South African batsman. Although the squad is full of confidence and some winning momentum, Amla says both teams enter the match on equal terms after two contrasting performances in the first two Tests. It is the first time this series that the squad presents a settled image following on and off-field disruptions, stability that will give the squad a sense of assurance going into the last stretch of the tour.