BRISBANE — Hashim Amla was approaching his third century in his last four Tests as South Africa defused Australia's pace attack and reached a dominant 255 for two at the end of the opening day of the first Test at the Gabba Friday. Amla, who was 90 not out when the stumps were drawn early because of bad light, put on 136 in an unbeaten third wicket stand with Jacques Kallis (84 not out) after openers Graeme Smith (10) and Alviro Petersen (64) were dismissed either side of the lunch break. Australian seamer Peter Siddle was left ruing missed chances after his no ball gave Kallis a life on 43 and he dropped a catch off his own bowling that would have sent Amla back to the dressing room with 74 runs. The home side had hoped the bowling attack, which destroyed India's vaunted batsmen last year, would do the same with the South Africans but the fireworks from James Pattinson, Ben Hilfenhaus and Siddle failed to materialize. Amla, the world's top-ranked batsman, signaled his intent early in the day with a soaring six off spinner Nathan Lyon and coolly paced his innings, easing up when the quicks got into their stride and opening up against anything loose. The 29-year-old put on 90 for the second wicket with Petersen before the opener threw away his wicket by wafting a shot for Mike Hussey to catch at mid-on off Lyon's bowling halfway through the second session. Picking up his 5,000th Test run along the way, Amla reached his 24th Test half century before tea and, Siddle's dropped catch apart, it looked like only the gathering clouds would stop him reaching his 17th Test century. The evergreen Kallis had designs on the milestone himself after racing to his 56th Test half century in just 63 balls, reaching the mark with a sublime cover drive. Australia had earlier benefited from the TV appeal system to dismiss Smith lbw when a Pattinson delivery caught the South African skipper's trailing leg but umpire Billy Bowden declined to raise his characteristic crooked finger. South Africa batsman JP Duminy, meanwhile, was ruled out of the series after rupturing his left Achilles tendon, the country's cricket board (CSA) said Friday. — Agencies
