Smith admits to frustration after drawn Test

South Africa captain Graeme Smith admitted that he was frustrated with his side’s inability to seal a win in the opening Test against England,but added that his players couldn’t be faulted for their efforts on the final day in Centurion.

England,chasing an unlikely 364 for a win after Smith had declared late on Day Four,finished with 228 for nine,with the last-wicket pair seeing off 19 deliveries. Paul Collingwood was unbeaten on an 99-ball 26,while last man Graham Onions played 12 deliveries for his single. “We played some really good cricket throughout the game,” said Smith. “There’s a touch of frustration maybe at not getting over the line,but definitely not disappointment,” said the skipper. “It was a fantastic way to finish a Test match and I’m proud of the way the guys played throughout the game. We’ve really given it everything.”

Smith felt his side had probably let the chance of victory slip away on day three,when Graeme Swann shared in a ninth-wicket stand of 106 with James Anderson to get England to within 62 runs of South Africa’s first-innings total. “We’d worked so hard to get there and we just let it slip,” said Smith. “But we hadn’t played a Test match in nine months and we played very good cricket. We can only hold our heads up high. “I was proud of the way the guys stuck at it. After the new ball this morning,there really wasn’t much available for us.”

However,the opening bat was surprised at England’s reaction to drawing,saying: “The fist-pumping and stuff like that — maybe it was a bit much.”