Surrey v Yorkshire: Amla and teenager Sibley in Oval defiance to frustrate Yorkshire

Then again, not often have they come up against the world’s No 1-ranked Test batsman in dazzling form on a docile pitch.

Hashim Amla makes run-scoring look ridiculously simple; so much so, he should really be made to bat with a stick of rhubarb, just to give the bowlers more of a chance.

The South African scored 151 of the most sublime runs one could possibly witness before he edged Ryan Sidebottom to wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow, who did well not to drop the opportunity away to his right out of sheer surprise that Amla had made an aberration.

Certainly the Oval crowd appeared to gasp in momentary disbelief as Amla misjudged an attempted off-drive before breaking out into a standing ovation for him as he walked from the sunlit field and up pavilion steps cast in shadow.

Sidebottom had just bowled the final ball of the second over after tea on day three and the scoreboard read 426-3, with Surrey closing in on Yorkshire’s first innings 434.

It was one of those typical Oval-looking scoreboards, with the ground traditionally a bowler’s graveyard.

Amla, who made South Africa’s highest individual innings here of 311 not out against England last summer, probably felt he had missed out on another triple hundred, so brilliant was his strokeplay and so benign a pitch that has become increasingly insipid since the opening day.

Not that he was the only beneficiary of the conditions and bowling rendered less penetrative than usual as Surrey closed on 572-4, a lead of 138.

The highest score of the innings belonged to opening batsman Dominic Sibley, who struck an unbeaten 220 and, at 18 years and 21 days, became Surrey’s youngest centurion in first-class cricket, and the youngest player to hit a Championship double century.

Sibley, 81 overnight, initially appeared to have the weight of history on his shoulders as he crawled towards his hundred like a snail advancing towards a clump of lettuce.

It was not until 10 minutes before lunch that he reached the landmark, sweeping a full toss from Adil Rashid to the backward square-leg boundary, his 301st ball faced and 12th four.

After resuming on 172-1 in glorious sunshine, Surrey lost only one wicket in a soporific morning session that yielded 84 runs in 31 overs.

Tim Linley, the nightwatchman, was lbw for 12 not offering a stroke to Rashid with the total on 190, the leg-spinner deceiving him with what appeared to be a quicker delivery.

The most interesting moment of the session came when Andrew Gale stationed six fielders in a semi-circle running from short extra-cover to short mid-wicket in front of Sibley, inviting him to break free from his shackles and explore consequently tempting gaps in the outfield.

He declined through a series of dead-bat strokes that seemed to say “I’m not going to fall for that” before Gale abandoned the innovative plan.

Sibley could not have had a better man than Amla to help shepherd him to his century and calm his nerves, for not only is the 30-year-old vastly knowledgeable but a walking advert for tranquility at the crease.

Amla may regularly raise his bat in anger but everything else about him screams serenity and a quiet, understated purpose that is a throwback to yesteryear.

Amla kept the scoreboard ticking – in the process passing 13,000 career runs – while Sibley stole singles here and there before gradually becoming more expressive after reaching three figures.

Amla went to fifty from 72 deliveries and needed only another 40 for his hundred, bringing up the the milestone by cutting Rashid to the boundary.

The leg-spinner was taken apart by the great batsman in almost apologetic style, Amla even crashing his good balls for four and toying with him in the way that a matador toys with a bull.

Sibley, who had the best seat in the house, displayed commendable powers of concentration as he reached his 150 from 394 balls, even trying a few audacious shots of his own once Amla was back in the pavilion, the pair having added 236 in 56 overs, a Surrey third-wicket record against Yorkshire.

Sibley offered a couple of half chances along the way to go with Adam Lyth’s reprieve of him at second slip on day two off Sidebottom when he had only eight to his name,

Otherwise, it was a triumph of tenacity by a teenager currently taking his A-levels at Whitgift School.

Vikram Solanki, 37, is a cricketer at the opposite end of the career spectrum and he arrived to inject further impetus after Amla’s departure as Surrey sought quick runs in the closing stages.

Solanki stroked 51 from 54 deliveries with five fours and three sixes before slapping Rashid to deep mid-wicket, leaving him five short of 1,000 in the Championship this season.

Sibley reached his double century with a lofted four over mid-wicket off Kane Williamson, a stroke greeted with great cheers by the Kennington faithful.

Gale led the applause of the Yorkshire fielders, who sportingly acknowledged a fine achievement.