South Africa vs New Zealand 2017: 1st T20, 5 talking points

#4 Amla blazes away

Amla gave South Africa a brilliant start, scoring 62 in 57 balls

There is an aspect about Hashim Amla's batting that batting purists just don't get. He looks classy yet has an odd technique, one which made critics assume early in his career that he would never succeed. He proved them wrong umpteen times.

The same critics later felt that he was suited just for Tests and ODIs given the fact that he relies more on ground shots. Amla is proving them wrong yet again in the shortest format of the game. With a penchant for piercing the smallest of gaps to perfection, Amla is a prominent figure South Africa's T20 plans.

In Eden Park, the opener was on fire, smashing Ben Wheeler for four consecutive fours early on in his innings. He went on to dominate Southee and de Grandhomme and smashed part timer Munro for a four and a six before being dismissed for 62 off 43 balls.