Cape Town - Currently piling up runs in all three formats for South Africa in England, Hashim Amla recently took charge of another distinguished landmark: longest stint as a team’s top-scorer in consecutive one-day internationals.
Cricinfo has revealed that Amla is now sole record-holder, as his six instances in a row (four against England and two New Zealand) eclipses the previous best of five.
That now trailing group of “purple-patchers” is made up of six individuals: Zaheer Abbas (Pakistan, 1981-82), Martin Crowe (NZ, 1990-91), Brian Lara (West Indies, 1993-94), Mark Waugh (Australia, 1998-99), Salman Butt (Pakistan, 2008) and Fraser Watts (Scotland, 2010).
You could even stretch it further by saying that Amla has now top-scored for the grateful Proteas in seven successive limited-overs internationals in which he has participated: he sat out the first Twenty20 international at Chester-le-Street on Saturday, but then on Tuesday night amassed 47 not out (his own best score in the format) in the eventually abandoned second at Manchester.
But whether you want to factor in T20 internationals or not, Amla at the very least rules the roost in the 50-overs arena.
Here is a reminder, from most recent downward, of his top-scoring ODI instances:
*97no v England, Nottingham (next best AB de Villiers 75no)
*45 v England, Lord’s (next best De Villiers 39)
*43 v England, The Oval (next best Dean Elgar 42)
*150 v England, Southampton (next best Graeme Smith 52)
*76 v New Zealand, Auckland (next best Albie Morkel 41)
*92 v New Zealand, Napier (next best JP Duminy 43)
Cricinfo has revealed that Amla is now sole record-holder, as his six instances in a row (four against England and two New Zealand) eclipses the previous best of five.
That now trailing group of “purple-patchers” is made up of six individuals: Zaheer Abbas (Pakistan, 1981-82), Martin Crowe (NZ, 1990-91), Brian Lara (West Indies, 1993-94), Mark Waugh (Australia, 1998-99), Salman Butt (Pakistan, 2008) and Fraser Watts (Scotland, 2010).
You could even stretch it further by saying that Amla has now top-scored for the grateful Proteas in seven successive limited-overs internationals in which he has participated: he sat out the first Twenty20 international at Chester-le-Street on Saturday, but then on Tuesday night amassed 47 not out (his own best score in the format) in the eventually abandoned second at Manchester.
But whether you want to factor in T20 internationals or not, Amla at the very least rules the roost in the 50-overs arena.
Here is a reminder, from most recent downward, of his top-scoring ODI instances:
*97no v England, Nottingham (next best AB de Villiers 75no)
*45 v England, Lord’s (next best De Villiers 39)
*43 v England, The Oval (next best Dean Elgar 42)
*150 v England, Southampton (next best Graeme Smith 52)
*76 v New Zealand, Auckland (next best Albie Morkel 41)
*92 v New Zealand, Napier (next best JP Duminy 43)