Cricket at Edgbaston: Top 5 individual Test batting performances from the venue

#3. Graeme Smith 277 for South Africa vs England, 24th July 2003.

The Protean Revolutionary

In the history of drawn or lost matches for England at the Edgbaston, one that will come to the mind of any avid cricket lover is the game where the South Africans forced England to play out a draw, and it was the first Test of the South African tour of England and Ireland in 2003. For all the history Edgbaston boasts, one thing that makes visitors hate the place is the tremendous support it has offered to the hosts over time. Be it the pitch, be it the spectators - the venue has always favoured the hosts, as a result of which they have rarely lost a match or even drawn one.

Graeme Smith was the captain of the South African side. Thrust into the role at a young age, he had rarely disappointed. South Africa were supposed to bat first, and being opener, Smith was at the crease since minute 1 of Day 1, and he played one of the most glorious Test innings ever.

Six hours and thirteen minutes later, when he finally gave way to an Ashley Giles delivery, Smith's individual score read 277 off 373 balls, an innings that comprised 35 fours. Ridings on his innings, the Proteas posted 594/5 decl. and then bowled the English out for 408. They then added another 134 runs before declaring, posing a target of 321 for the English. The match ended in a draw. Smith was declared man-of-the-match.