SA openers close in on Windies

South African captain Smith faced 202 balls and hit 13 fours and a six in a solid but cautious innings. The more aggressive De Villiers scored his runs off 236 balls and hit 13 fours and a six.

Smith and De Villiers took an important step towards shutting the West Indies out of the match with an opening stand of 191.

The partnership started in the fourth over of the day, and endured until the 19th over before the close when Smith skied a drive off the bowling of off-spinner Chris Gayle to Wavell Hinds at deep extra cover. The West Indies wasted a chance to separate the openers in the sixth over after lunch with the total on 59 without loss. Smith, on 25, sent an airborne drive off fast bowler Fidel Edwards into the covers where Dwayne Bravo dived to his left but failed to hold a one-handed catch.

Other than that, Smith and De Villiers had little trouble accumulating runs on a sound pitch and against the West Indies’ unthreatening bowling.

Brief scores

West Indies: 296 (B lara 176, S Chanderpaul 53; A Nel 4/56, M Zondeki 4/50) vs South Africa : 253/1 (G Smith 104, A Villers 122 n.o; C Gayle 1/41).