Smith ignores pain to dominate

CAPE TOWN: Young Barbadian batsman Dwayne Smith said he ignored pain from a dislocated finger to give the West Indies his best — a stunning century on debut that secured a draw against South Africa in the Third Test match at Newlands on Tuesday. The 20-year-old Smith, who suffered the injury while fielding during South Africa’s first innings, lashed an imperious 105 off as many balls, to become the first West Indies batsman in 26 years to score a Test hundred on debut. “There was a bit of pain but pain doesn’t worry me when I am out there playing for the West Indies,” Smith told reporters.

“It means a lot, I am glad to achieve what I’ve achieved and I am happy with what I’ve done,” he added. For the first time since Basil Williams stroked 100 against Australia in Guyana in 1978, a West Indies batsman celebrated a century on debut, and Smith stunned the South Africans with an authoritative innings that included 15 fours and two sixes, the second maximum hit an astonishing square drive — on bended knee — that sailed over the cover boundary. Smith arrived at the crease with the score on 224 for four when Ramnaresh Sarwan fended a rising ball from pacer Makhaya Ntini to Herschelle Gibbs at gully. He completely dominated a 72-run fifth-wicket partnership with Wavell Hinds, and even re-ignited hopes of a miraculous victory as he raced to fifty at almost a run-a-minute off 52 balls, hoisting spinner Paul Adams for six to reach the landmark.
  
Skipper Brian Lara (86) and Sarwan (69) contributed solidly with a vital 156-run third-wicket partnership but their efforts were overshadowed by Smith’s amazing assault. “When I went out there I told myself to be positive,” he said. The West Indies finished on 354 for five after they were set 441 runs to win, and while the Caribbean side avoided defeat in a South African Test for the first time in eight matches, the home team will take a winning 2-0 lead to the last Test starting at Centurion Park on January 16.