England vs South Africa - Smith’s relentlessness proves vital once again - Opinion
It is hard to imagine this South African Test Team without Graeme Smith at the top of the order. His solid little knock against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/England-c56013 at the Oval on the second Day of the First Test typifies a man who has never bowed down since he was given the captaincy,
at a very young age.
A man of humble beginnings is what can best describe http://www.senore.com/Cricket/GC-Smith-c1473. His pugnacious approach towards batting and “never say die” approach has benefitted his side like nothing else. South Africa are certainly pleased to have him. At 31 years of age, Smith’s
average kisses the fifty mark and his 24 hundreds have come in times when his side desperately needed them. He currently stands at 37 not out off 118 deliveries, at the close of play on Day 2, but what has impressed everyone who has seen him bat, is that once
again his relentless approach has guided his team out of trouble.
South Africa could have easily capsized after Alviro Petersen’s dismissal for nought. With James Anderson swinging the ball prodigiously, South Africa’s efforts of containing England to 385, seemed to be futile. Yet the ball beating the bat on several occasions
did not fluster http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Smith-c90598, who was too good and experienced of a player to believe that his side will succumb to outlandish pressure. Viewers were bound to believe that a South African recovery was possible whenever he defended the ball with assurance.
A strong bottom-handed technique helped him nudge off stump deliveries onto the leg side with inelegant ease and the likes of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/SCJ-Broad-c2465 were baffled. He also played spin well, preffering to use his front pad to smother Graeme Swann’s
finger tricks. Yet what frustrated England was that they felt they always had a chance as the deliveries continued to swing away from the bat and he played and missed on numerous occasions.
Years of experience however, definitely count, and anchoring the innings when the going gets tough proved too hot to handle for the English bowlers who were left pondering over what could have been. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757 eventually recovered to 86 for 1 at the close
of play and trail by 299 runs. It was because of Smith and Hashim Amla’s class, that England was denied any sort of advantage. The day was Smith’s all the way, where his bowlers brought his side back into the game which only prompted him to battle it out with
the swinging ball.
It comes to no one’s surprise that Smith has played with the same sort of maturity that many have associated with him. He was after all given the captaincy at a tender age, and when his team began to falter with the retirement of key players such as Jonty
Rhodes, Alan Donald and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Lance-Klusener-c72175, Smith took it on his own to guide them out of trouble. South Africa could not sniff victory for the most part of 2004, yet Smith just refused to bow down and led from the front. Within two years since the state of being
in free fall, South Africa managed to reestablish themselves as a formidable Test match side, and when all was lost, Smith’s leadership helped the beleaguered Proteas to win a Test Series against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 in 2008. It was a remarkable feat for a man who had
to bear the brunt of a plethora of issues.
It can be said that his mighty muscles, shrewd approach and wealth of concentration with the bat and on the field would be one of the key factors which would define the Proteas' success in this Test Series.
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