Superman Smith on top Down Under
7 Jan 2009
Graeme Smith was awarded the Player of the Series trophy for his gutsy batting performances, superb captaincy and remarkable courage.
Smith scored 326 runs at an average of 65.20 over the three Tests which is no mean feat considering he retired hurt in the first innings of the final game. His captaincy was acknowledged given he orchestrated South Africa’s first series win in Australia, and as far as courage and tenacity are concerned, there wasn’t an instant in Perth, Melbourne or Sydney where the South Africa skipper didn’t embody these virtues.
The game in Sydney looked to be over when Dale Steyn was trapped lbw by Andrew MacDonald, but Smith emerged from the dressing room to weather the Aussie attack. South Africa fell 10 balls short of a draw when Smith was bowled by Mitchell Johnson, but the decision to remove his cast and stride out to face the Aussie quicks with a broken hand would have won respect the world over.
“I wasn’t going to go out in the morning, but as things starting getting close and we lost a few wickets, I started to reconsider,” said Smith. “After tea I decided if there were 20-odd overs remaining I would go out there. It made my life easier that the tail played so well.”
Dale Steyn and Makhaya Ntini stuck around to record a 54-run partnership. Smith commended the effort of his frontline bowlers.
“The tail has been a captain’s nightmare for both teams in this series. I think Dale and Makhaya epitomise the character in this team. It’s great to see them dig in like that.”
Smith was obviously elated with the series win in Australia, and although they fell short in Sydney, it took little shine off an unprecedented feat.
“2008 was a very successful year for us and there was plenty of hype coming into this series. To be honest, I’m just chuffed to be on the winning side for a change.”
Had the tourists fought to a draw, Australia would have had only themselves to blame. Matthew Hayden dropped a sitter when Ntini nicked a full delivery from Johnson, a missed chance that could have cost Australia a win. The hosts were also fortunate the dark clouds gathering around the SCG never brought the expected rain.
“When I saw the storm coming through, the blood pressure did go up a bit,” said Ponting. “Luckily the weather held off and we were good enough to get home.
“I’ve been very proud of my side right through the series, even though the results haven’t worked out the way we would have liked. We’ve been in some good positions, but haven’t been good enough to hold those positions.
“South Africa have been able to turn a negative situation into a positive situation and that for me is a sign of a good team.”
The Proteas will face Australia in the first of two Twenty20 matches on Sunday. The team will be led by Johan Botha as Smith returns home to recover from injury.
97 Comments
Pages: « 1 [2] Show All
7 Jan 2009, 11:37 am
John Smit, Mzwandile Stick & Graham Smith
Captain’s Courageous the lot of them
7 Jan 2009, 11:39 am
hahaha! of course! vernon thinks batting is a dance move!
7 Jan 2009, 11:47 am
Surely one of the sport moments of the year-Smit coming down to bat while Aussies celebrate their victory! Captain Courageous deserves to be Man of the Series.
It’s madness to want to drop Kallis. If ever it is needed to remember that form can vary but class is permanenet it is with Kallis.Mckenzie’s bad series should see him make way for Prince. Boucher still far too important as player, team man, mentor, fighter that relatively poor batting form should see him go. Also AB does not want to take the gloves at this level where his batting is all important
7 Jan 2009, 11:52 am
#11 wooden spoon: we had keo here yesterday justifying not dropping boucher by saying that AB was groomed to replace gibbs and open with smith…so there you have it…and in essence, because of mckenzie’s inefficiency amla virtually opened this whole series and i would dare say he did well…
7 Jan 2009, 12:03 pm
I watched the last overs gathered around the office TV with my Aussie colleagues. Many of them were hoping for a draw. Sadly it wasn’t a Hollywood script. But the Proteas did us proud, it was an historic victory. A fantastic Test series. Graeme Smith has brought a new dimension to the word tough. I enjoyed the moment towards the end when Smith looked at Ponting and Punter looked nervously away. That said it all.
7 Jan 2009, 12:29 pm
Uh, for those who do not know McKenzie averages in the 60s since his return from the international darkness, and the Smith/McKenzie opening partnership averages something like 81 in the last season. Pretty difficult to drop a guy like that.
I am glad it is not my choice to decide what should happen on the return leg – but I know dropping Prince, Duminy or McKenzie are all equally bad ideas. As is trying to play de Villiers as a keeper/bat….I just don’t know what the answer is.
7 Jan 2009, 12:31 pm
Biff arriving in SA OR Tambo at 15h30 on Thu 8 Jan (tomorrow) – flight SA 7701
Accompanied by Ashwell P, Monde Zondeki and Robin Peterson.
Media conference afterwards at the Holiday Inn
Will fly to CT same day at 20h00 on flight SA 363
7 Jan 2009, 12:33 pm
Graeme Smith my humblest apologies for comments I made in the past. I kneel before you and beg your forgiveness. You, unlike 3 years or so ago, showed maturity, statemanship,leadership ( on and off the field) and guts which even had my Aussie friends in awe. Mate i played proifessional sport in Europe and there is no way I would have gone out with the type of injury you had. I applaud you. The Proteas (Springboks) did South Africa proud. You will get the 31 spot when the Aussie visit RSA. Thank you Graeme and the team for a magnificent performance.
7 Jan 2009, 12:34 pm
get the 31 spot I meant. Blood beer has gone to my head!
7 Jan 2009, 12:35 pm
bugger #1 spot for ****** sake
7 Jan 2009, 12:43 pm
#56 Kerneels: McKenzie has been absolutely brilliant since his return. Droppping him now would be stupid.
I think JP should be dropped, because he’s still a rookie in comparison to everyone else. I think even he understands that he’ll be dropped, I honestly believe if we had Prince today we probarbly would’ve drawn. The more experienced man must come before him especially a batsmen like Prince.
7 Jan 2009, 12:43 pm
#58 quota:
Nice one quota! Takes a big man to admit his mistakes!
7 Jan 2009, 12:45 pm
Well done Smith and our super cricketers. Smith what a brave man to go out and play today. Huge respect.
7 Jan 2009, 12:47 pm
#62 Sheriff:
Hey you starting chatting then disappeared…
#63 Puma:
Hey Pumes how goes things
7 Jan 2009, 12:55 pm
What a game boys…thats the true spirit of this team never say die – fight to bitter end. How classic was it when mickyD trapped steyn and they thought they had won, then comes biff running down the stairs…they must have schemed JC does this oke ever give up for F sakes! You gotta luv it! Well done boys we will chant you to number 1 at the wanderers!
7 Jan 2009, 13:04 pm
WHAT GOOD NEWS KP HAS RESIGNED AS ENGLAND CAPTAIn
7 Jan 2009, 13:06 pm
#65 Coachholten: agreed!
7 Jan 2009, 13:11 pm
#64 Irish Devil: Hi Irish…thanks for the birthday wishes last evening…by the way i think you a great lad!!!! Saw you mentioned you thought i may not like you…nothing can be further from the truth!!
7 Jan 2009, 13:12 pm
#67 SpringbokSarah: thanks for the birthday wishes as well young lady!
7 Jan 2009, 13:15 pm
#68 grant10: Thought you were gonna kill him…
#69 grant10: how was it?
7 Jan 2009, 13:19 pm
#64 Irish Devil:
Replied accordingly.
Did you not get?
7 Jan 2009, 13:21 pm
#70 SpringbokSarah: late night and far too much liquers,red wine and irish coffees!! Great evening…thanks
7 Jan 2009, 13:23 pm
#72 grant10: glad you enjoyed yourself
7 Jan 2009, 13:26 pm
what a boytjie. Captain Collossus at his best!!!
7 Jan 2009, 13:53 pm
I love you Graeme… Recover good Biff!!! You the best captain ever!!
7 Jan 2009, 13:59 pm
Graeme Smith has come a long way, and hats off to him for sticking to his job through the lean times and controversy. He deserves the praise, and Australia can thank their lucky stars for the freak ball that broke his hand, as he would’ve definitely made more runs, and occupied the crease longer in both innings. As it stands the Aussies sneaked the match by a couple of balls!
7 Jan 2009, 17:07 pm
“IN the end, Australia won a thrilling third Test against South Africa with 10 balls to go, warding off suggestions it is in terminal decline and facing a bleak future.
But it was the valiant attempt by the visitors’ injured captain, Graeme Smith, to save the day that won the admiration of cricket fans of all persuasions.
With lightning flashing in the sky and his tail-enders holding on grimly during the last session of a gripping series, Smith, who had watched the match from the balcony since breaking his knuckle on the second day of the game, decided he would defy medical orders and bat if need be.
There was a Test to be saved and a rare opportunity to keep Australia winless on home soil.
The only problem was that Smith, who has a cast on his left hand and a severely injured elbow on the other side of his body, had left his clothes back in the hotel, not planning to bat in the second innings. While the game dragged on yesterday, strange scenes ensued inside the South African dressing room.
Smith found a pair of trousers among his bats. He borrowed a shirt from Jacques Kallis and now he needed a jumper to complete the outfit. The only one that would fit belonged to spinner Paul Harris, but it had a large hamburger stain on the left side from a recent feast.
No matter, but there was the problem of the plaster cast on his wrist and an arm so immobile he could not dress himself, even with his gear assembled.
Somehow he managed to get the cast off and pull over the aching hand a specially modified glove that accommodated two taped fingers and a protector. Morne Morkel was delegated to dress his captain.
It should never have come to this. Australia, despite playing with two Test debutants, had South Africa eight wickets down before 4pm and thought they just had to get either Dale Steyn or notorious bunny Makhaya Ntini out and the game was done.
Somehow the pair held on until after 5pm. When one of the newcomers, Andrew McDonald, removed Steyn, the Australians celebrated as if they had won the Test. That is when Smith appeared from the change rooms and walked to the field, heart beating fast beneath the hamburger stain.
“I just decided to give it my best shot,” Smith said later. “If I got a first baller, at least I tried.”
He decided he could not risk pain-killing injections in the wrist or elbow and knew that it was going to hurt like hell, but Smith also knew if he could hold on with Ntini for another 50 balls they could save the match.
Just like former Australian opener Rick McCosker, who batted at No10 with a broken jaw in the second innings of the Centenary Test against England in 1977, Smith was prepared to risk a lot of pain if it helped the team’s cause.
“Luckily, most balls hit the bat,” Smith said. “Once one ball hit my bat, I kind of thought, ‘OK, that’s one out of the way, just keep watching the ball’. I think I was more worried about getting a blow on the hand than anything else, but luckily it never happened.”
Smith and Ntini lasted 40 balls before Mitchell Johnson bowled the incapacitated South African captain with a ball that deviated off one of the cracks that had opened up on the pitch.
Australia’s captain, Ricky Ponting, whose declaration on Tuesday afternoon receives some criticism but in the end was vindicated, was feeling as much pain as Smith for most of the afternoon. But he was over the moon when his side finally made a stand and won a Test in the three-match series to retain the No1 ranking.
“I congratulated him (Smith) on a great series win and I congratulated him on getting back out there this afternoon,” Ponting said.
“I thought that showed a lot of character.”
Smith was awarded man of the series, Peter Siddle man of the match, but some might say it was the game that won the day.”
7 Jan 2009, 18:09 pm
When Smih was appointed as captain as a 22 year old, most people disliked the guy. I supported him since the time he took over and said to those that wanted him gone to give him time in his role.
Thanks goodness they did. What a captain, what a player. He will go down as South Africa’s greatest captain yet.
7 Jan 2009, 18:26 pm
#78 johnnybravo: Same here. I have always supported Smith too. Always remember him getting a double ton on the first tour to England as captain. Knew he would turn out to be our best captain ever. Very proud of him today when I saw him coming out to bat. Very brave man. Felt just wonderful to see those Aussies all standing up and clapping for him too. Good stuff to see.
7 Jan 2009, 18:45 pm
Legendary Biff, what a hero and what a captain.
Pity the English are trying to steal our thunder by having a crisis that steals our deserved headlines.
7 Jan 2009, 20:18 pm
#80 MerckZ: I blame KP, attention-grabbing ***** that he is, can’t stand being upstaged by his nemesis (not my true sentiments). To paraphrase Wilde:
“To lose [a captain] is unfortunate, to lose [both a captain and coach] is careless.”
7 Jan 2009, 20:43 pm
#80 MerckZ: Smith and some of the players arrive back in SA tomorrow 3.30pm. Hope there is some cricket fans going to the airport to welcome our heros home.
7 Jan 2009, 21:10 pm
i was also a big fan since he started and a lot of people gave me a hard time for sticking out for him, glad it payed off in the end. i always knew he had it in him. hope he gets the respect he deserves from now on.
7 Jan 2009, 21:26 pm
#83 Cricketlover: It grates me to admit to admiration for someone who is only a few younger than me, but cripes! the guy’s got ovals. He’s the kind of guy who gets both his arms blown off, and comes out swinging, saying: “It’s only a flesh wound!”
7 Jan 2009, 21:27 pm
I must say I have always hated Smith ever since the day he butted heads with Lance Klusener causing Klusener to be thrown out the SA team. Klusener was my greatest hero as a kid and in my opinion the finest player in SA cricket since re-admission.
I always looked on Graham Smith as a bit of a toss, with a big mouth. That stupid, “they said I couldn’t do it, they said I was too young” ad just added fuel to the fire, and his big mouth in Australia just before we copped a walloping in years gone by all added to this. And I also hated his initial resistance to set attacking fields. And of course who wouldn’t hate a guy that once dated Minki van der Westhuizen.
But he has always been a great batsmen, and through the years his captaincy has come along in leaps and bounds, and he has shown great courage, playing under great pain. Most of all the thing I like about him is that he has adopted a more withdrawn approach and he doesn’t shoot his mouth off all the time.
Well done Graham Smith, you’ve done the country proud.
7 Jan 2009, 21:47 pm
Lol… just a fleshwound, eh?
7 Jan 2009, 22:01 pm
#86 Cricketlover: I think it might be described in the media briefings as a niggle.
7 Jan 2009, 22:27 pm
hahahaha! lol…
7 Jan 2009, 22:35 pm
#85 Harlequin: Quality postage.
7 Jan 2009, 22:54 pm
#86 Cricketlover: On Graeme Smith’s latest injury woes, Mickey Arthur, the South African coach, said in a candid interview: “Well obviously, we’re concerned about the setback (Smith’s accidental loss of both his arms in a freak ping pong accident), as it makes it a bit difficult for him to bat, and the last thing we want is to aggravate the injury, but you know, Biffy’s a fighter, and I suspect we’ll have to kneecap him to prevent him from going out there to face the last 9,000 balls with a bat lashed to his tongue. Even then, Bouch would probably tie him up to a service trolley and push him on to the field, with taunts of him being a *****.”
7 Jan 2009, 22:59 pm
hahahahaha! i just pictured that and i couldnt finish because i was laughing too hard…
7 Jan 2009, 23:13 pm
What G Majola said in his congratulations to the team:
Their record shows that they have not been beaten in a Test series in this period in Asia (India, Pakistan and Bangladesh), Europe (England), Australasia (Australia away, New Zealand at home) and Africa (West Indies, Kenya and Zimbabwe).
No team in world Test cricket has been this successful playing under such varied conditions and environments in one season.
7 Jan 2009, 23:21 pm
#92 shooter: Did I miss one too many geography lessons, that West Indies is classified as an African nation?
8 Jan 2009, 00:44 am
#93 Boycott’s mum: You got the piont though, right?? Everyone else certainly did.
8 Jan 2009, 00:46 am
#85 Harlequin: And proved you wrong. I knew all along and 438 only cemented that view.
8 Jan 2009, 06:11 am
One thing Ponting is good at is winning the toss (3 out of 3, check the coin for bias?) and in Sydney that decided the game as the pitch did the rest. (Perhaps his new nick name should be “Tosser” rather than “Punter”). We also had two umpires on display in Sydney who looked like amateurs way out of their depth. On display was “Silly Billy” Bowden with his weird mannerisms and calls and Da Silva’s third world incompetence especially interpreting the LBW laws. Even though the pitch was playing up and the ball flying off cracks, the benefit of the doubt never went the way of the Proteas’ batsmen as far as height was concerned and yet I saw Hayden hit low down and right in front in his second innings and given not out. Boucher however was gunned shamelessly with a full toss way outside leg. Then there was the oil on the pitch introduced by the heavy roller in RSA’s second innings, grounds for abandoning the match, if the rules are strictly followed. The sightscreen of the new Trumper stand was a joke and we could talk about the pitch for ages – what a truly third world effort from the world’s so-called cricketing leader. You can’t trust the convicts. I hope they get their just desserts in the home series.
9 Jan 2009, 02:04 am
First of all, happy this year for everbode here. Secondly, great play by the South Africans and my hat off for Smith for playing with broken hand. Bravo.
Cheers, folks, see you in Heineken and Super 14!
Pages: « 1 [2] Show All
Have your say
You must be logged in to post a comment.