'No nerves' Smith hits debut century as West Indies earn draw

Wednesday, January 7, 2004

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AFP): Dwayne Smith, plucked from relative obscurity by West Indian selection convenor Viv Richards, hit a spectacular century on his debut as the West Indies earned a draw in the third Test against South Africa at Newlands Tuesday. 

It was the first time in eight Tests over two tours of South Africa that the West Indies had avoided defeat, although the draw clinched a series win for South Africa, who lead the four-match series 2-0. 

Smith, six days short of his 21st birthday, slammed 15 fours and two sixes as he reached his hundred off 93 balls. He finished with 105 not out in a West Indian total of 354 for five. They had been set an improbable 441 to win off 105 overs. 

"I was in a bit of pain," admitted Smith, who dislocated the little finger on his right hand while fielding in the first innings, "but pain doesn't worry me when I'm playing for the West Indies." 

Smith said he did not feel nervous at the crease. "I stick to what I have to do, work hard and try my best," said the quiet-spoken player from Barbados. 

Smith's remarkable innings came after captain Brian Lara had decided a win was not possible. 

"It was the innocence of youth," said Lara. "He played the way he knows." 

Lara praised his new young star. "It's nice to see young guys coming through and having a passion for the game. His work ethic is great and he's a very positive individual." 

Lara (86) and vice-captain Ramnaresh Sarwan (69) laid the foundation for the West Indies' best performance on tour with a third wicket stand of 156. During the partnership, Lara said, a win was a possibility. 

"I said to Sarwan, if we get to tea, we can assess the situation."

Just before tea, though, with 238 runs needed at just over five an over, Lara was caught behind by wicketkeeper Mark Boucher off a bottom edge when he tried to pull Andre Nel. 

Sarwan went 10 overs later, caught at gully off Makhaya Ntini.

Thoughts that the West Indies would settle for playing out time were dispelled by Smith, who played a dazzling array of strokes. He drove, hooked and pulled his way to a half-century off 52 balls, reaching the mark with a straight six off left-arm spinner Paul Adams.

Smith dominated a stand of 72 with Wavell Hinds and was on 60 when Hinds was bowled by Shaun Pollock in the second over with the new ball.

There were still 22 overs to be negotiated but Smith continued to attack, hitting a straight four and an astonishing front-foot cover drive for six off Makhaya Ntini in the next over. He reached his century with a flurry of three fours in four balls from Andre Nel.

Smith was a surprise choice as a replacement after Marlon Samuels returned home with a knee injury. He had played only 14 first-class matches for Barbados and had a modest career average of 22.80, which included a single century and no half-centuries. 

But convenor Richards was watching when the unheralded Smith hit nine sixes in an unbeaten 92 for Barbados against Guyana in a one-day match and decided the youngster had enough potential to play international cricket. 

He got his chance to make his Test debut when Shivnarine Chanderpaul pulled out of the Newlands Test with a thigh injury. 

Lara, who vowed after the second Test that there would be no repeat of the whitewash defeat his side suffered in South Africa in 1998/99, played his second crucial innings of the match after making 115 in the first innings. He faced 138 balls and hit 14 fours in his 86. 

He said the team needed to work on their bowling and fielding and would simulate match situations in their preparation for the fourth Test starting at Centurion on January 16. 

South African captain Graeme Smith said he was "really happy" with the series win and said his players had stuck to their task well on a pitch which stayed excellent for batting throughout the match. 

Dwayne Smith's century was the seventh in the match, four by South Africa and three by the West Indies, the most in a Test involving South Africa. 

The previous high of six was set when South Africa and England hit three hundreds each in the drawn "timeless" Test in Durban in 1938/39 which was played over 10 days, with play on nine. 

Boucher took two catches, which took him into third position on the all-time list of Test wicketkeepers with 271 victims in 70 matches, ahead of West Indian Jeff Dujon (270) and Alan Knott of England on 269. The only wicketkeepers ahead of him are Australia's Ian Healy (395) and Rodney Marsh (355). 

Final scoreboard on the fifth and final day:

South Africa 1st innings 532 (J. Rudolph 101, J. Kallis 73, N. McKenzie 76, M. Boucher 122 no, Edwards 3-132, Sanford 4-132) 
West Indies 1st innings 427 (C. Gayle 116, B. Lara 115, Nel 87-5) 

South Africa 2nd innings (overnight 335-3)
G. Smith b Edwards 24 
H. Gibbs c Gayle b Sarwan 142 
J. Rudolph c Jacobs b Drakes 0 
J. Kallis not out 130 
G. Kirsten not out 10 
Extras (b3, lb7, nb11, w8) 29 
Total (for 3 wickets dec) 335 

Fall of wickets: 1-48, 2-50, 3-301 
Bowling: Edwards 14-0-86-1 (3nb, 7w), Sanford 8-1-38-0 (1w), Gayle 9-3-34-0 (1nb), Drakes 20-0-68-1 (7nb), Mohammed 6-0-30-0, Sarwan 19-1-69-1 
Overs: 76 

West Indies 2nd innings
C. Gayle c Gibbs b Ntini 32
D. Ganga c Boucher b Ntini 10
R. Sarwan c Gibbs b Ntini 69
B. Lara c Boucher b Nel 86
W. Hinds b Pollock 25
D. Smith not out 105
R. Jacobs not out 9
Extras (b2, lb7, nb7, w2) 18
Total (for 5 wickets) 354

Fall of wickets: 1-28, 2-47, 3-203, 4-224, 5-296
Bowling: Pollock 17-3-64-1 (4nb), Ntini 21-4-82-3, Nel 21-5-57-1 (1nb, 1w), Kallis 16-3-38-0 (2nb, 1w), Adams 22-3-103-0, Rudolph 1-1-0-0, Kirsten 2-1-1-0 
Overs: 100 

Result: Match drawn 
Man of the match: Jacques Kallis (RSA) 
Series: South Africa lead four-match series 2-0 
Remaining match: Centurion, Jan 16-20 
Umpires: Daryl Harper (AUS) and Srinivas Venkataraghavan (IND) 
Television umpire: Ian Howell (RSA). Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (SRI) 

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