ST KITTS: CRICKET - South African Captain Graeme Smith led his team into the Super Eight stage of the Cricket World Cup with a win over Scotland

Record ID: 452993

  • Title: ST KITTS: CRICKET - South African Captain Graeme Smith led his team into the Super Eight stage of the Cricket World Cup with a win over Scotland
  • Date: 22nd March 2007
  • Summary: BASSETERRE, ST KITTS (MARCH 20, 2007) (REUTERS) PRESS CONFERENCE ROOM SOUTH AFRICAN CRICKET CAPTAIN, GRAME SMITH SAT AT TABLE IN PRESS CONFERENCE ROOM (SOUND BITE) (English) SOUTH AFRICAN, CRICKET CAPTAIN, GRAME SMITH SAYING: "Ja look I think today's game took on extra meaning obviously you know after Bob passing away ,there were a couple of emotional guys a couple of days ago but you know to the credit of all the guys they were very professional , you know we had a good chat about it yesterday and all the guys felt they were perfectly fine going into today's game and I think you know obviously the guys wanted to put a good performance in for Bob so you know we're glad that we did that." PRESS CONFERENCE ROOM WITH GRAME SMITH SAT IN FRONT OF MICROPHONES JOURNALIST (SOUND BITE) (English) SOUTH AFRICAN CRICKET CAPTAIN, GRAME SMITH SAYING: "Ja look, I think when they come up against a team that creates a lot of pressure , I mean having chatted a little bit to Ryan you know , I think in the middle there you know they are not used to teams being able to squeeze like that, you know , we've got a really top inner ring fielding unit and I thought we bowled very well , we made them earn a lot of runs. Once we really changed our game plans and went straight today , it made live very difficult for them in the middle. I think, you know for them these are ways they're going to learn, you know they learn now how to play against the sort of environment were teams you know really don't give any thing away for free, the same as Australia , same as all the top teams. So I think for them today the more lessons that come out of it and they take it from there." PRESS CONFERENCE ROOM WITH GRAME SMITH SAT IN FRONT OF MICROPHONES JOURNALIST LOOKING AT SCORE CARD (SOUND BITE) (English) SOUTH AFRICAN CRICKET CAPTAIN, GRAME SMITH SAYING: "Ja, look I think obviously our weeks, our couple of days preparation going into Australia is going to be important you know , our planning is going to be important. I think, well I know we are a very confident bunch of guys now, we're confident in our ability, each guy has had a good workout going into these two games and I think we are running pretty solidly and it's just about getting the planning right and hopefully executing well on the day. You know, I think both teams are very close , they all have a fair amount of match winners and experience and it is just about who is going to perform better on the day and who takes their chances."
  • Embargoed: 6th April 2007 13:00
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  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVAE3WDVEAGAK9184H5AHBNUYVOF
  • Story Text: South African captain Graeme Smith led his team into the second round of the World Cup with a convincing seven-wicket win over Scotland in their Group A match on Tuesday (March 20) .
    Following his teams victory Smith told reporters that his side had won the game for Bob Woolmer, the former Pakistan cricket coach who died at the World Cup on Sunday (March 18).
    "Ja look I think today's game took on extra meaning obviously you know after Bob passing away ,there were a couple of emotional guys a couple of days ago but you know to the credit of all the guys they were very professional , you know we had a good chat about it yesterday and all the guys felt they were perfectly fine going into today's game and I think you know obviously the guys wanted to put a good performance in for Bob so you know we're glad that we did that," he said.
    The South Africa captain was full of praise for his team and felt they had commanded the game throughout, teaching the Scots a few valuable lessons in the process.
    "Ja look, I think when they come up against a team that creates a lot of pressure , I mean having chatted a little bit to Ryan you know , I think in the middle there you know they are not used to teams being able to squeeze like that, you know , we've got a really top inner ring fielding unit and I thought we bowled very well , we made them earn a lot of runs. Once we really changed our game plans and went straight today , it made live very difficult for them in the middle. I think, you know for them these are ways they're going to learn, you know they learn now how to play against the sort of environment were teams you know really don't give any thing away for free, the same as Australia , same as all the top teams. So I think for them today the more lessons that come out of it and they take it from there," he said.
    Chasing 187 for victory, Smith scored a commanding 91 as South Africa cruised to 188 for three with more than 26 overs to spare. Scotland's 186 for eight surpassed their previous highest World Cup score, made in 1999 against Australia, by five runs.
    Following the match, Scotland captain, Ryan Watson said he was disappointed at his teams defeat, but felt that they had bowled as well as they could have on the day.
    "Slightly disappointed in the way we bowled upfront. I thought we bowled a lot better against Australia and having runs on the board we had an opportunity to maybe put them under some pressure upfront and they came out and batted really well but I don't think we bowled as well as we could have," he said.
    But the Scotland captain was also full of praise for the South African side that beat them.
    "Well, one we learnt how to field today, South Africa were magnificent in the field today and those are the sort of standards we've got to go and achieve if we are going to compete. And also the ability to, our batting needs to, our batting needs to work upfront , guys come at us and hit us over the top and come hard and we need to apply the same pressure on them , so that is something we could probably take away and work on," he said.
    After dispatching the Scots and the Netherlands with the minimum of fuss, South Africa will meet Australia on Saturday (March 24) to determine which team will carry two points into the next stage of the competition.
    Ahead of South Africa's pairing with Australia, Smith told reporters he thought the teams were evenly matched and that he was grateful for the time they have to prepare.
    "Ja, look I think obviously our weeks, our couple of days preparation going into Australia is going to be important you know , our planning is going to be important. I think, well I know we are a very confident bunch of guys now, we're confident in our ability, each guy has had a good workout going into these two games and I think we are running pretty solidly and it's just about getting the planning right and hopefully executing well on the day. You know, I think both teams are very close , they all have a fair amount of match winners and experience and it is just about who is going to perform better on the day and who takes their chances," he said.
    The only downside for the South Africans was when fast bowler Makhaya Ntini's return to action was cut short. He left the field in the 40th over of Scotland's innings. Ntini, playing his first match in the World Cup after being on paternity leave, pulled up while bowling his ninth over. He completed the over and left the field to receive treatment for what the team spokesman said was cramp. Ntini, the spearhead of the attack, did not return, leaving South Africa to complete a disciplined but not particularly inspired bowling performance.
    Medium pacer Andrew Hall took three for 48, while Shaun Pollock was the most economical bowler with his return of one for 25 from 10 overs. The Scotland batsmen struggled to score freely until the latter overs of their innings, when Dougie Brown and John Blain shared a brisk seventh-wicket stand of 50. Brown top-scored with 45 not out and Blain made 23.
    Smith and AB De Villiers (62) kept the South Africans locked on their victory course with an opening stand of 134, both surviving chances during their hefty partnership. De Villiers was 18 not out when he was dropped by stand-in captain Ryan Watson at short mid-wicket off medium pacer Blain. Watson missed out on a catch offered by his former schoolmate Smith on 38.
    The South African openers were eventually separated when De Villiers heaved a delivery from left-arm spinner Rogers to long on for Brown to take the catch. Smith was dismissed two balls before the end of the match when he drove a delivery from off-spinner Majid Haq into the hands of Rogers at mid-on.
    Justin Kemp (12 not out) hit the winning runs with a straight six off Rogers.
    Scotland were without captain Craig Wright, who returned home following a death in his family.
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