'Fantastic Herschelle just went berserk'

Herschelle Gibbs and Graeme Smith yesterday chose the moment to prove that Test cricket can stand on its own feet, without any need for false excitement or gimmickry such as the Twenty20 Cup. There was a sense of occasion here and it was genuine.

Their record-breaking partnership proved that today's spectators can still appreciate the game in its traditional format. Early signals of frustration in the crowd gave way to admiration for two batsmen at the top of their game, who had soundly dispelled the notion that South Africa, humbled in the NatWest Series, might somehow roll over in the Tests.

Smith, at 22 a fledgling captain but a player of maturity beyond his years, has already inspired Gibbs to new heights of excellence. They shared a partnership of 368 against Pakistan in Cape Town in January and yesterday's achievement makes them the first pair in Test history to pass 300 together twice.

"People might not have seen much of us in international cricket as yet, but we have played together a lot for Western Province and I believe we complement each other really well," said Smith, who marked his own hundred by touching the black armband players from both sides wore in respect of the death of Henry Kallis, father of Jacques, on the eve of the Test.

Smith had good reason for satisfaction at close of play - but he was not about to claim it had been easy batting all day. "It was tough up front. Herschelle and I had a little bit of nerves, and I think they bowled well to start with," he said. "We knew we would have to knuckle down. But then we came out after lunch, and Herschelle played a fantastic innings. He went berserk, and I don't think the England bowlers knew what to do after that."

The remarks of the England captain, Nasser Hussain, about discontent in the South African ranks only served to inspire the tourists.

"We knew those comments were a load of rubbish," Smith said. "But it gives you a bit more heart, and it puts more pressure on the person who makes comments like that."