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Centurion - Hashim Amla has equalled the achievement of his Proteas captain, Graeme Smith, in reaching 6 000 runs in his 128th Test innings against Australia at SuperSport Park here on Saturday.
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At the time Amla was fighting grimly to keep the rampant Aussies at bay in the South African second innings, where they have been set an unlikely target of 482 to win the first encounter and are attempting to bat for the best part of two days just to avoid defeat.But he was dismissed for 35 not long afterwards as the Proteas lurched to 97 for four in the second session of day four.
Smith and Amla are thus jointly the fastest South Africans to achieve the 6 000 landmark in innings terms - and 17th overall – although “Biff” got there in his 73rd Test whilst this has been the 30-year-old Amla’s 74th.
The national skipper also got to the landmark in a match against Australia, under happier circumstances in the first Test at Perth of the famous 2008/09 series when the Proteas confidently hunted down a 400-plus target to take a 1-0 lead and then clinch the honours in Melbourne shortly afterwards.
Don Bradman is the runaway fastest batsman to 6 000 runs, getting there in only 68 innings and 45 Tests,
followed by Garfield Sobers (111 innings, 65th Test).
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