On this day: Graeme Smith’s masterclass at Lord’s stuns England

August 2 2017– it was the very same day when the then South Africa skipper Graeme Smith enchanted the Lord’s. The left-hander graced the field at the ‘Mecca of cricket’ in the second Test of the series after making 277 in the first. All eyes were on Smith to continue his prolific form and the Protea didn’t disappoint.

Playing a vital role in South Africa’s triumph, Smith, in the first innings propelled his side to a dominant start by stitching a 133-run opening stand with Herschelle Gibbs. After the departure of Gibbs, Smith was assisted by Gary Kirsten as they built a 257-run partnership to plunge misery on the English bowlers.

Smith kept ticking the scoreboard while scripting his name in the history books. Currently, the director of Cricket South Africa, Smith became just the sixth man to score double hundreds in consecutive Test matches and the third to score consecutive 250s. He also joined one of the greats– Don Bradman– as the only batsman to top 600 runs in three consecutive innings. And he was just 22 years old!

On the back of Smith’s double ton and Kirsten’s 108, the South African side was able to post a mammoth 682-run total on the scoreboard. Smith weaved his knock around 34 fours before James Anderson broke through his defence and the ball hit the stumps after taking an inside edge.

However, South Africa had already amassed 513 runs at the departure of their skipper. Smith neutralized the England bowling force at Lord’s, making them sweat to break the partnership. No English bowler apart from Anderson managed to gather two or more wickets.

Makhaya Ntini, with his five-wicket haul, dusted England, making way for South Africa’s triumph. The Proteas clinched the encounter by an innings and 92 runs and Nitni was adjudged Man of the Match for scalping 10 wickets in the Test. However, not many people would point a finger to argue that it was Smith who etched his name into the record books while flaunting his class on the English soil.