Graeme Smith: Captain Courageous

Going into the third test at Sydney, South Africa had already wrapped up the series. Going into the fifth day at Sydney, South Africa had a mountain to climb. Needing over 350 to win the game, South Africa had already lost their captain due to a broken hand. It was looking as though South Africa were going to surrender the third and final test.

Over Graeme Smith's dead body.

Smith had been by far the better captain of the series. He made the right decisions at the right times and said the right things when they needed to be said. Smith played many vital innings' during the series such as his 108 in Perth and his match winning innings in Melbourne.

In Sydney, South Africa failed with the bat in the first innings but were helped by some good batting by the tail. In the second innings, trying to salvage a draw, the batsmen once again failed to make any big contributions. However, Makhaya Ntini and Dale Steyn took the side very close to salvaging a draw.

When Steyn was removed the Australians started to celebrate a win. Too early. For down the stairs walked South Africas captain courageous. The crowd stood and cheered with the utmost respect when Smith walked out onto the field to stand in the way of an Australian victory.

Smith, with a broken hand and chronic tennis elbow, batted for 29 minutes, every shot causing severe pain in his body, before he was eventually clean bowled by a Mitchell Johnson rip snorter.

Even though it did not end the way he would have wanted it, Smith did enough to ensure that he will be remembered by cricket lovers the world over for many years to come. What Smith did showed the fighting spirit that South Africans have and how they are willing to fight to the very end even when all seems lost.

Smith was, fittingly, named the man of the series and arrived home to a heroes welcome.