Share

Smith hails dominant Proteas

Bridgetown - South Africa captain Graeme Smith has hailed his side's dominant performance on their tour of the Caribbean, which ended on a successful note on Tuesday.

South Africa wrapped up a two-month trip, with a seven-wicket victory over the West Indies in the third and final Test at Kensington Oval.

The result meant that South Africa wrapped up a 2-0 series victory, after they also won the first Test inside four days by 163 runs at Queen's Park Oval in Trinidad, and the second Test was drawn at Warner Park in St. Kitts.

This followed a clean sweep of the two Twenty20 Internationals, as well as the five One-day Internationals that preceded the Tests.

"It's been a terrific series for us and we can't argue with the results we have had on this trip," said Smith. "We can't hide away from the disappointment we had in the Twenty20 World Cup.

"We've asked each other to step it up, make sure that we make every training session, and every time we walked onto the field to represent our country. We did it to the best of our ability."

He said: "We have done this. We have done everything that was asked of us. We bounced back, and we obviously have a long way to go in terms of where we want to go in terms of being a team, and hopefully we can build on this.

"The Test side has been successful for a very long time, and we just want to keep meeting this standard every single day."

Smith also praised the fast bowling pair of Dale Steyn, the Man-of-the-Series, and Morne Morkel for getting South Africa out of a jam every time they found themselves in a tight spot.

"They are an important part of the Test line-up," he said. "The firepower they bring, and their wicket-taking ability is crucial for our success.

"As a captain, it's about balancing how much you really want to use them, and getting the most out of them.

"Especially in this heat and these types of conditions, it's about making sure each bowler is effective, and that they're trying to achieve something. That's the goal for me as a captain."

Steyn collected 15 wickets at 18.13 runs apiece, and Morkel snared 14 scalps at 18.92.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
25% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1471 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2249 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE