It rained‚ and then it rained runs in the second test between South Africa and Bangladesh in Bloemfontein on Saturday.
The start of the second day’s play was delayed by the weather but the home side made up for the lost time by scoring 102 runs in 22 wicketless overs to reach lunch on 530/3.
Hashim Amla and Faf du Plessis added centuries to those scored by Dean Elgar and Aiden Markram on Friday‚ marking only the second time that four South Africans have made hundreds in one test innings and the fourth time Bangladesh have suffered that ignominy.
South Africa’s other century city was St John’s in Antigua in April 2005‚ when AB de Villiers‚ Graeme Smith‚ Jacques Kallis and Ashwell Prince all advanced to three figures.
Amla was 132 not out with Du Plessis on 120‚ his first century in 16 completed test innings.
Their partnership was worth 242‚ the second double-century stand of the innings following the 243 openers Elgar and Markram shared.
Du Plessis might have been run out for 83 when he straight drove Rubel Hossain for what seemed a certain boundary.
But‚ as the batsmen conferred midpitch‚ the ball hit a pile of sawdust and was slowed significantly enough that it stopped before reaching the ropes.
The Bangladeshis were alert to the situation and did the fielding smartly‚ and Du Plessis had to scramble to make his ground as the throw came in.
That was the closest the visitors came to separating Amla and Du Plessis‚ who resumed with South Africa on 428/3.
Amla went to his 28th century in the seventh over with a four through third man off Mustafizur Rahman.
Du Plessis’ seventh hundred was completed off the same bowler with a four through midwicket in the sixth over before lunch.
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