South Africa captain Graeme Smith blasted 85 off 79 balls to guide his team to a seven-wicket win on the fourth day of the second Test against the West Indies at the Newlands on Saturday. Smith's innings enabled South Africa to square the series with one match to play.
Victory with a day to spare seemed unlikely after a heroic effort by West Indies skipper Chris Gayle extended his team's innings until tea and left South Africa needing 185 to win.
But Smith and AB de Villiers got the chase off to a flying start with an opening stand of 57 in nine overs and the tempo was maintained as Hashim Amla helped Smith add 83 in 17 overs for the second wicket. Amla and Smith were out in successive overs to leg-spinner Rawl Lewis but Jacques Kallis and Ashwell Prince took South Africa home.
West Indies, 1st innings, 243
South Africa, 1st innngs, 321
West Indies, 2nd innings (overnight 96-4) (Ganga b Ntini 22, Ramdin c Boucher b Kallis 32, Morton c Boucher b Steyn 1, Samuels lbw b Nel 18, Chanderpaul not out 70, Gayle c Harris b Steyn 38, Bravo c Smith b Nel 12, Lewis c Amla b Harris 1, Taylor c Kallis b Steyn 21, Powell c Smith b Steyn 1, Edwards c Harris b Nel 21;
Extras --- b4, lb20, w1 --- 25).
{{/usCountry}}Extras --- b4, lb20, w1 --- 25).
{{/usCountry}}Total (101.5 ovs) 262
FoW: 1-59, 2-60, 3-81, 4-93, 5-126, 6-133, 7-163, 8-167, 9-192.
Bowling: Nel 27-12-62-3, Ntini 26-8-62-1, Steyn 19.5-7-44-4, Kallis 19-6-34-1, Harris 10-0-36-1.
South Africa, 2nd innings (Smith c Gayle b Lewis 85, de Villiers c sub (Sammy) b Bravo 23, Amla c Gayle b Lewis 37, Kallis not out 22, Prince not out 12; Extras --- lb5, nb1, w1 --- 7).
Total (3 wkts, 35.2 overs) 186
FoW: 1-57, 2-140, 3-152.
Bowling: Powell 11-0-57-0, Taylor 6-0-31-0, Bravo 7-0-34-1, Samuels 3-0-17-0, Lewis 8.2-0-42-2.