Some centuries are shaped by their circumstances, others by the talent and skill of the centurion, and still others by the quality of the opposition. Dean Elgar’s 129 against Sri Lanka at Newlands on Monday was none of the above. It was, instead, carved out of circumstances that should never have yielded an innings of such quality, scored with just as much, if not more, cussedness and determination than talent and skill, and against a tide of classy bowling. The South Africans should thank their gods for Elgar’s triumph of substance over style. It took them to 297/6 at stumps on the first day of the second Test, which is a long way from the 66/3 they were two overs before lunch.
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