By Richard Sydenham
LONDON, July 21 (Reuters) – South Africa captain Graeme
Smith scored a dream century in his hundredth test on Saturday
after coming out on top in a “battle of attrition” with England
spinner Graeme Swann.
Smith, who will become a father for the first time next
week, scored 131 in the first test at The Oval that helped push
the Proteas to 403 for two at the close and into a position of
dominance, thanks also to 183 not out from Hashim Amla.
Although Smith crashed his way from 50 towards to his 25th
century in just 41 deliveries, he first had to endure a
challenging period when off-spinner Swann made life difficult
for him, often turning the ball away from the left-hander’s bat.
His first 50 was his slowest yet, in 160 balls.
“”I guess in the next day or two this will sink in,” Smith
told reporters. ““Firstly, to have played 100 tests is a
terrific achievement, but to reach a milestone like this is the
cherry on the top – it feels great.
““It was a battle of attrition out there really. I don’t
think the wicket has been free-flowing in any way. It is a bit
slow and it was taking a lot of turn.
““For me as a left-hander, Graeme Swann was a tough
challenge. There weren’t too many scoring options available to
me so it was about being strong in my gameplan and working
through that.”
Smith, 31, nicknamed Biff, now has five test centuries in
England, having started with 259 at Lord’s and 275 in Birmingham
in 2003.
Continued…
