Agence France Presse

Port of Spain, April 11:

Graeme Smith completed his ninth Test hundred and helped South Africa grind their way to a slender first innings lead of 23 in the second Test against West Indies. Smith top scored with a gritty 148 that anchored his side to 370 for six, replying to the West Indies’ first innings total of 347, when stumps were drawn on the third day. A stand of 67, unbroken, for the seventh wicket between Ashwell Prince, not out on 41, and Mark Boucher, not out on 28, was a source of major frustration for West Indies in the final period. On 24, the left-handed Prince pulled a short delivery from Reon King and mid-wicket fielder Donovon Pagon muffed a straightforward chance.

But it was the left-handed Smith that exemplified South Africa’s determined batting on the unpredictable Queen’s Park Oval pitch. He hit 15 fours from 313 balls in an innings that took him past the 3,000-run mark. Smith added 41 with Monde Zondeki for the fourth wicket and 52 with former opening partner Herschelle Gibbs for the fifth wicket. Before lunch, South Africa continued from their overnight position of 182/3 to reach 238/4 at the interval. For most of the morning period, cut short by a 15-minute interruption for rain, Smith and Monde Zondeki resisted the West Indies attack. But Pedro Collins, armed with the second new ball, made the breakthrough for West Indies however, when he completely bamboozled Zondeki and bowled him for 14 with a perfectly pitched in-swinger.