South Africa v West Indies, 1st Test,

Close South Africa 552 for 5 dec (Amla 208, de Villiers 152, van Zyl 101*) v West Indies

Hashim Amla Make Double Century in Ist Test Vs West indies

South Africa declared their innings at a mammoth 552 for five with the debutant Stiaan Van Zyl completing a hundred on debut. Van Zyl also became the fifth South African to score a hundred on debut. Interestingly all hundreds scored by South Africans on debut have come post reinstatement. In the meantime the declaration coincided with the tea break courtesy thunderstorms. The rain is refusing to relent so the delay caused may be longer than initially anticipated.

Teams:

South Africa: Alviro Petersen, Dean Elgar, Faf du Plessis, Hashim Amla (C), AB de Villiers, Stiaan Van Zyl, Quinton de Kock (Wk), Vernon Philander, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Kyle Abbott.

West Indies: Kraigg Brathwaite, Devon Smith, Johnson Charles, Marlon Samuels, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Denesh Ramdin (C&W) , Jerome Taylor, Kemar Roach, Sheldon Cottrell and Suliman Benn.

Alongside him, there was continuity. Amla was marking his first home Test as captain in unerring fashion. He had 141 at start of play; another 37 by lunch, a low-key contribution to the morning. Discussions were heard about how long South Africa would bat before the declaration. This was pop gun Test cricket.

Amla was dropped off Taylor on 180 by Blackwood, leaping at midwicket and, on 205, Sheldon Cottreell jagged one back over the top of his off stump, a sight that stirred the interest of South Africa's attack. His poise was also briefly threatened by a malfunctioning sightscreen. There were many neat moments, too, and when that double hundred came, his wristy flick off Cottrell through square leg could hardly have been seemed more matter of fact.