Africa-Press – South-Africa. They might not be the most apparent and “fashionable” sporting family in South Africa (yet), but the Smith siblings – Chris and Daniel – indisputably dominated the weekend in local sport.
Elder brother Chris, pretty much by default, grabbed most of the headlines with an official Man of the Match performance for the Bulls in their comfortable 53-27 Currie Cup victory over Griquas in Kimberley.
It was a fascinating performance in the sense that he shone by not resorting to anything flashy.
Instead, the 27-year-old pivot was instrumental in merely providing the Bulls with the type of tactical balance that meant they could eventually break away from the gutsy hosts.
His two sublime 50-22 kicks early in the second half within three minutes of each other instigated the momentum shift that Gert Smal’s charges needed.
Impressively, he was also robust on defence, manfully covering his busy channel to complete a game-high 11 tackles while also winning a turnover.
953km down the N12 and N1, 19-year-old Daniel stamped his authority at Newlands for Western Province in a domestic 4-Day Series encounter with North West.
Having only made his first-class debut earlier in the season, the former national Under-19 skipper was last month granted his first professional contract with the union after a spot went open due to David Bedingham’s decision to focus on his English county Durham.
Daniel, a left-hander and wicketkeeper, made an excellent impression on his debut against the Titans, crafting scores of 29 and 83.
But the former SACS pupil – which Chris also attended – went into overdrive with a magnificent 153 off 236 deliveries, an effort that included 21 fours, which puts Province in the driving seat for a comprehensive win over the struggling Dragons.
“Yeah, we’re super super chuffed with his maiden hundred,” Chris said on Monday with a chuckle following another training session at Loftus.
“Daniel’s probably the new blue-eyed boy in the family! Hopefully, he’ll be able to support us now with the cricket.
“But in all seriousness, I’m really proud of him and I’m confident he’s going to achieve some really big things in the sport.”
Moreover, WP’s decision to promote him from its academy ranks looks eminently sound.
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