Quantcast

Match Report:

Scorecard

Amla's record-breaking go-slow staves off defeat

Hampshire bowl 64 maidens in a drawn match in Southampton as Surrey score just 128 runs from 104.5 overs

South African legend Hashim Amla has produced one of the slowest innings in the history of first-class cricket to steer Surrey to a draw in their County Championship match against Hampshire.

Scorecard: Hampshire v Surrey

Amla batted all day at The Rose Bowl on Wednesday to finish unbeaten on 37 from 278 balls as Surrey finished on 8-128, leaving Hampshire just two wickets short of what would have been an innings victory.

Statistician Andrew Samson reported that the 278 balls Amla faced is the most by a batsman in first-class history for a score of less than 40.

The right-hander famously blocked out 244 balls in scoring just 25 runs in a Test match against India six years ago as he and AB de Villiers (43 from 297 balls) tried to stave off defeat.

Amla's strike rate in that Test match of 10.24 is the lowest in first-class cricket since 2008 (minimum of 200 balls faced) while his innings for Surrey on Wednesday (a strike rate of 13.30) is second on that list.

Having been bowled out for just 72 in their first innings in response to Hampshire's 488, Surrey had little choice but to push for a draw on the final day.

Having resumed on 2-6, all Surrey players were united in the go-slow, with only one of the 10 batsmen used finishing with a strike rate of more than 30.

Image Id: C9A81AA9B63D46828879BBB4994C7C9E Image Caption: Amla scored just three runs from the first 100 balls he faced // Getty

Hampshire's bowlers returned an incredible 64 maidens and bowled more than 500 dot balls as Surrey finished with 8-128 from 104.5 overs, a run rate of just 1.17.

Left-armer Keith Barker finished with figures of 3-9 from 22 overs including 17 maidens, the most economical bowling performance of 20 overs of more in first-class cricket since 2001. 

"I did enjoy it," Amla, who scored just three runs from the first 100 balls he faced, said at stumps.

"Every batter that went out there had a plan and (we) tried our best to just block it out. You don't know how far you can go but we managed to go all the way. We had some nervous moments but the way the youngsters played was fantastic.

"It was a real battle. Everyone wants to score runs, but we had a cause. You need a lot to go your way, especially on this wicket. It was up and down and there was quite a bit of rough from the off-spinner.

"The game dictated that we have to save the game. The last thing you want to do is play a couple of bad shots and the game is over by lunchtime. But the way everyone played today we managed to pull it back after being outplayed on days two and three."