Hashim Amla’s determined ton was a labour in vain as Hampshire went down fighting to Nottinghamshire in the County Championship.

The Proteas star batsman was last out on 112 when Hampshire, who in their attempt to chase down 469 were bowled out for 265.

Amla, who is on a short-term contract until he travels to Sri Lanka with the Proteas in July, has been going from strength to strength after battling to 36 in each innings of his first match, in atrocious conditions. He scored a fifty in each of his next two matches and then a fine 69 in the first innings against Notts.

His 112 came off 203 balls, with 15 fours, at a healthy strike-rate of 55, when no one else could muster more than 17 after opener Joe Weatherley’s 56. Rilee Rossouw contributed seven, and Kyle Abbott 10.

This is not new territory for Amla. Not only has he previously played for Essex, Nottinghamshire, Surrey and Derbyshire, it was also at the Oval, home of Surrey, where he scored his magnificent unbeaten 311 against England in 2012.

Elsewhere, Stiaan van Zyl‘s 45 helped Sussex record a three-wicket victory over Middlesex at Brighton.

Sussex were given a target of 239 after David Wiese‘s 4-70 helped bowl out Middlesex for 322. The coastal team were 24-2 before Van Zyl stopped the rot with an 89-run stand for the third wicket with Danny Briggs.

When Van Zyl went, after a solid innings that consumed 106 balls (five fours), Sussex were well on their way on 125-4.

Incidentally, Aiden Markram‘s wonderful 94 for Durham proved to be the top score of a crazy match at Chester-le-Street. Forced to follow on after scoring 184 (in which Markram scored 0) to Leicestershire’s 440, Markram underpinned a second-innings offering of 403, which left the visitors a target of 148.

Seven wickets fell to the medium pace of James Weighell, who has 11 first-class matches under his belt, as Leics were bowled out for 101. Victory for Durham by 46 runs.

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