My favourite Innings

Hashim Amla - 311 (529) vs England, Oval 2012

This was the first time I got into cricket, and oh boy what a start to my first love it was. This was South Africa's golden age of cricket. The best players in the world filled up their squad - Smith, Amla, De Villiers, Kallis and that is just the batsmen. With, Morkel, Philander and Steyn bowling, this truly was one of the great sides ever assembled, up there with Bradman's invincibles, and West Indies of the 1980s. Moreover, England also had a strong unit, with Strauss and Cook opening the batting, and Pieterson, Broad, Swann and Anderson to name but a few. So, two excellent sides, surely no one would dominate. But no.

On the 20th of July, with South Africa 1-1 in response to England's 385, Hashim Amla walked out to the middle to join his skipper, Graeme Smith. Amla took 25 balls to hit his first boundary, and from then on the right hander looked effortless. He cruised along, but Strauss dropped him on 40, one of the most costly drops in cricket's history, off Ravi Bopara of all people. Then on, the classy batsman looked a cut above, as he barely gave a hope for England. It was aching for England - 790 minutes of the best batting you'll see ever.

It was the first 300 by a South African, and he beat AB de Villiers' record of 278 along the way. His knock included 35 fours, but 0 sixes, and the whole SA innings, all 1,136 balls of it, only 1 six was hit, by Jacques Kallis. In the end, Amla faced 529 deliveries, and batted for the aforementioned 790 minutes. Moreover, he was involved in South Africa's second highest 3rd wicket stand with Kallis of 377. It was a performance full of stats, and an innings I'll never see the like of again.