Cometh the hour

For class batsmen like Hashim Amla, timing is everything.

Choosing his 100th Test to chalk up his 26th century signalled a timely return to form for the bearded willow wielder after his longest dry spell. Before this he went 14 innings without a hundred, dating back to the 109 against England at Supersport Park early last year.

Although the aesthetic run plaudits will go to JP Duminy because of his delectable 221-ball 155, the significance of Amla's milestone in South Africa's imposing 338/3 on the first day of the third Test against Sri Lanka cannot be dumbed down.

In hammering Rangana Herath down the ground for four off his 169th ball, Amla (125*) became the eighth batsman and second South African to record a ton in his 100th Test. He joined an esteemed batting group of Colin Cowdrey (104), Javed Miandad (145), Gordon Greenidge (149), Alec Stewart (105), Inzamam-ul-Haq (184), Ricky Ponting (120 and 143*) and Graeme Smith (131) as batsmen who graced their landmark games with equally important milestones.

It was freight train shunting stuff in the first session after he came in at 45/1 in the 15th over.

Having made the bulk of his No3 runs when his country has been up the creek, Stephen Cook's early fall to Angelo Mathews for 10 didn't put Amla in the most precarious position he has fought his way out of.

It became tougher when Dean Elgar gave away his wicket in the next over for 27 when he gave Dimuth Karunaratne catching practice at first slip off Lahiru Kumara.

At 45/2 after 16 overs, having won the toss, choosing to bat under heavy skies, a green surface and a probing attack was not the ideal response.

JP Duminy strolled in and made a mockery of the difficult batting conditions by racing to 50 off only 62 balls, while Amla was still trying to fix his batting gearbox.

Duminy turned cover driving into an art during a serene march to a sixth Test hundred off only 140 balls, studded with 14 sumptuous boundaries.

But nothing wakes Amla up like a dropped catch, with Dhananjaya da Silva shelling a regulation chance at gully off Suranga Lakmal in the last over before lunch when Amla was on five.

A sign that Amla was finding his groove was the confidence with which he played his shots in reaching his 50 off 109 balls. That his second 50 came off only 60 indicated his hunger for runs.

Duminy was smartly snaffled by Kusal Mendis at second slip off Kumara. It was his fourth Test 100 at No4, creating a selection headache ahead of AB de Villiers' impending return.