South Africa’s preparations for the first npower Test next week continue to go smoothly, notwithstanding one caveat. After a run fest at Taunton last week, when all their batsmen stuck their fist in the honeypot, the South Africans’ first fixture against Middlesex since 1965 brought plenty more runs against a weakened attack. Hashim Amla batted with freedom for his second big hundred of the tour, while Ashwell Prince dug in for a gritty 167-ball century.

Mickey Arthur, the South Africa coach, has confirmed that the team for this match, barring any injuries, will be the starting XI for Thursday’s Lord’s Test. If the bowlers need a decent workout over the weekend, all that remains for the top order is for Graeme Smith, the captain, to spend more time in the middle than he did yesterday. This was his first innings since injuring a hamstring in the Indian Premier League five weeks ago and it looked it.

Having survived a close leg-before shout from David Burton on one, Smith played and missed numerous times outside off stump and scratched around for 35 from 77 balls. He fell straight after lunch when, cutting at a loosener from Alan Richardson, he was caught at the wicket.

Burton, a 22-year-old fast-medium bowler from the West Country making his first-class debut for Middlesex, had made the initial breakthrough in the ninth over. Surprising Neil McKenzie with some extra bounce off an Uxbridge pitch with more grass than usual, Burton had him caught at long leg from a top-edged pull.

Burton produced a useful opening spell of 6-1-17-1, but his control was inconsistent thereafter, with Amla, in particular, relishing the width he was given.

Amla galloped to his fifty from 67 balls with 12 fours and maintained his scoring rate over his second fifty, reaching his hundred from 119 balls after hitting three fours in one over from Burton. Three long hops from Mark Lawson, all of which disappeared for six over the leg-side boundary, assisted Amla’s charge. One blow landed in the Uxbridge Road, causing the umpires to seek a replacement ball. Like so many batsmen of Indian descent, he played through the on side with delightful wristiness.

With neither of the two young leg spinners, Lawson, on loan from Yorkshire, and Dawid Malan, able to curb the scoring rate, it was left to Richardson, in his first appearance of the season after an ankle operation, to maintain some order.

Jacques Kallis once scored a hundred for Middlesex on this ground, but he failed this time, confounded by a beauty that drew him forward and found the edge.

Middlesex had to wait a further 50 overs for their next wicket when Danny Evans had Amla caught behind with the second new ball. By that time, Amla’s alliance with Prince was worth 190, a South African fourth-wicket record against Middlesex.

South Africans: First Innings

*G C Smith c Scott b Richardson 35

N D McKenzie c Evans b Burton 11

H M Amla c Scott b Evans 161

J H Kallis c Scott b Richardson 2

A G Prince not out 104

A B de Villiers not out 3

Extras (b 8, lb 2, w 1, nb 12) 23

Total (4 wkts, 90 overs) 339

M V Boucher, P L Harris, M Morkel, M Ntini and D W Steyn to bat.

Fall of wickets: 1-26, 2-132, 3-142, 4-332.

Bowling: Burton 23-1-97-1; Richardson 19-8-34-2; Evans 16-5-46-1; Lawson 16-0-83-0; Malan 16-0-69-0.

Middlesex: A J Strauss, B A Godleman, N R D Compton, *E C Joyce, E J G Morgan, D J Malan, B J M Scott, D A Burton, A Richardson, M A K Lawson, D Evans.

Umpires: S A Garratt and M A Gough.

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