Smith hails teammates for ’’greatest’’ fightback in Cape Town

... in ''one of the great comebacks in Test history,'' according to Proteas skip Smith

Smith hails teammates for ''greatest'' fightback in Cape Town

... in ''one of the great comebacks in Test history,'' according to Proteas skip Smith

Oops: Australia's Shane Watson reacts after dropping SA's Hashim
Amla at Newlands, Cape Town yesterday. Pic/Getty Images

The South African captain praised the resilience of his team, who bowled Australia out for 47 in the second innings, leaving the home side with a target of 236. Smith said the talk at the end of the first innings, in which South Africa were bowled out for 96, was less about motivation than specifics.

Graeme Smith

"It was about what we wanted to achieve. We never expected 21 for nine (which Australia were before a 26-run last-wicket stand), although there were a few jokes about 60 or 70 but I don't think anyone believed it. It was about a bit of direction and the bowlers knew they needed to do a job for us.

"That shows the character of the team. We didn't just back off. Obviously there was something in the wicket for us but to bowl with that intensity was a good sign." Both Smith and man-of-the-match Vernon Philander said they took inspiration from Australia's Shane Watson, who took five for 17 to shoot South Africa out.u00a0 "Watson got the ball to talk and we learned something from that," said Smith.

South Africa'su00a0 victory was effectively sealed by a second wicket partnership of 195 between Smith and Amla, with Amla scoring a sparkling 112 off 134 balls before he was out when only 14 runs were needed. Smith reached his century with a single to level the scores and then hit the winning run to finish with 101 not out off 140 balls. It was the fourth time Smith had scored a century in a winning fourth innings run chaseu00a0-- more than anyone else.

He also became the first man to score 1000 runs in winning chases, with an average of 85.83. Australian captain Michael Clarke bemoaned his side's poor batting performance in the second innings. "Without doubt we let ourselves down with the bat. Full credit to South Africa, for how they bowled and the way they played today." Clarke said: "Every single one of us needs to be disappointed. When you lose like that you don't just let yourselves down, you let the people who support you down. "We need to find a way to get back up. Good teams do. That's how you learn."

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