Graeme Smith was one of the finest batters to have donned the South African jersey. The left-hander batsman was an excellent batsman as well as an excellent captain. He led his team in all three formats of the game. He has played in over 100 test matches and scored over 9000 runs. In this article, we will have a look at the top 10 test innings by the former Proteas captain.
1. 148 Vs West Indies
In the second test of South Africa’s tour of the West Indies in 2005, the Proteas captain Graeme Smith scored his tenth-best test knock. The Windies team won the toss at the Queen’s Park Oval and elected to bat first. In reply to the host’s first innings total of 347, the visitors gave a good start when they came out to bat. Smith, their captain led the batting unit and scored a tidy knock of 148 runs off 313 balls. He hit 17 boundaries in this innings of his. His innings gave the visitors a first-innings lead and eventually won them the match.
2. 151 Vs Pakistan
Smith scored his second test century and his first test 150 in the second test against Pakistan at the Newlands, when the latter visited the African nation for a 2-match test series in 2002-03. After Pollock won the toss and elected to bat first, South Africa were in the driving seat from the first ball itself. The openers put on a 368-run stand in the opening partnership of the innings. While Gibbs scored 228 runs, Graeme Smith scored 151 runs off 216 balls. Smith hit 18 boundaries in this innings. The first innings score of 620 that South Africa posted, thanks to these two major contributions helped them win the match by an innings and 142 runs.
3. 154* Vs England
In the third test between England and South Africa held at Edgbaston in 2008, Graeme Smith produced a performance that will go down in the South African sporting history, with an unbeaten 154 to guide his side to a series win against England. Chasing a target of 281 in the second innings of the match, it was just a one-man show. The Proteas skipper led from the front and scored an unbeaten 154 runs off just 246 balls, hitting 17 boundaries. Smith was awarded the Man of the Match for his blistering performance.
4. 157 Vs Bangladesh
Smith scored his 17th test century, against Bangladesh in the first test match of the 2008 test series when the two sides played against each other at Bloemfontein. After the hosts were put to bat first, they were in total control of their innings from the opening partnership. Their captain Graeme Smith scored 157 runs off 248 balls, which comprised 17 boundaries and an over-boundary too. He turned out to be the highest run-scorer in this match as his side beat the visitors by an innings and 129 runs. South Africa took a 1-0 lead in the series and their captain was awarded the Man of the Match award.
5. 183 Vs England
The South African great scored his 19th test century, in the third test against England in 2010 when the two sides locked horns for a 4-match test series in South Africa. This ton of his at the Newlands, Cape Town came in the third innings of the match. After giving the hosts a small lead in the first innings, the Proteas captain led from the front in their second innings and played an excellent knock of 183 runs off just 273 balls. He hit 25 boundaries in this innings. His superb batting display along with contributions from others here and there helped his side post a mammoth total of 447 runs in their second innings. Though the match eventually ended in a draw, Graeme Smith was awarded the Man of the Match award.
6. 200 Vs Bangladesh
This innings of Graeme Smith was special in a number of ways. This was not only his first test double-century, but it was also Smith’s first test century. He scored this brilliant knock in the first test match of the series against Bangladesh at East London, South Africa in 2002. Smith achieved this feat in the first innings itself when the hosts came out to bat after losing the toss. He spent over five hours in the middle and faced 287 balls to get to his double century. His innings comprised as many as 25 boundaries. He helped his side post a mammoth total of 529 in the first innings, eventually beating the visitors by an innings and 107 runs, and also won him the Man of the Match award.
7. 232 Vs Bangladesh
Another of Smith’s double century came against Bangladesh in 2008, but this time in the Asian soil of Chittagong. In the second and final test match of the series, Smith won the toss and came out to bat first. He, along with his opening partner Neil Mckenzie scored double-centuries which contributed to a 415-run stand in the opening partnership. Smith scored 232 off just 277 balls, hitting 33 fours and a six as well. Their first innings total of 583 turned out to be a huge one for the Asian side as the Proteas won the test by a huge margin of an innings and 205 runs. Their skipper, Graeme Smith was awarded the Man of the Match award.
8. 234 Vs Pakistan
Smith’s love story with double-centuries continued as he scored his fifth test double-century against Pakistan at the Dubai International Stadium in the second test of the series between the two nations in October, 2013. In reply to Pakistan’s very low first innings total of 99, South Africa started their innings pretty well. Their captain once again led from the front and scored his last test century and eventually converted that into a double-century. He scored 234 off 388 balls, hitting 16 boundaries in his innings. This gave his side a comfortable cushion in the match as they beat Pakistan by an innings and 92 runs. Captain Smith was adjudged the Man of the Match for his prolific batting display.
9. 259 Vs England
Smith scored yet another test double-century, his third overall at the Home of Cricket, the Lord’s Cricket Ground in the second test between England and South Africa in July, 2003. In reply to the host’s first innings total of 173, the Proteas captain led the batting unit of the visitors. He scored a mammoth 259 runs off just 370 balls, hitting as many as 34 boundaries. His superb knock along with Kirsten’s century helped his side post a giant total of 682 runs on the board. Thanks to this huge first innings total, the visitors emerged victorious by beating England by an innings and 92 runs. Smith was adjudged the Man of the Series for his double-centuries in both the tests.
10. 277 Vs England
In the first test of the same series, Graeme Smith scored his test career-best of 277 runs, this time at Edgbaston. Coming out to bat first, the visitors were in total control of the game, led by their skipper. Graeme Smith played a captain’s knock of 277 runs off just 373 balls, hitting as many as 35 boundaries in his innings. He stayed for over nine hours at the crease and helped his team score a huge total of 594 runs in their first innings. Though the match eventually ended in a draw, Smith’s excellent batting in both the innings earned him the Player of the Match award.
