Petersen struck three fours and two sixes from 70 balls in his 52 before Shane Shillingford claimed the opener’s wicket as South Africa reached 104 for one at the interval on the opening day at Warner Park.
Petersen put on 99 for the opening wicket with captain Smith after the Proteas won the toss and chose to bat on a hard, flat pitch. He reached his 50 with a double two to fine-leg off Sulieman Benn but had little time to celebrate as he top-edged a sweep and was caught at deep backward square-leg by a diving Kemar Roach.
Hashim Amla joined Smith when a steady drizzle drove the players off the field 15 minutes before lunch.
Smith, too, was eyeing a half-century, unbeaten on 45, and Amla, the most prolific batsman in the preceding limited-overs series, yet to score.
The South Africans remained unchanged for the Test from the one that beat the hosts in the first match with West Indies opting for Roach in place of fast-bowler Nelon Pascal.
The Proteas lead the three-Test series 1-0 after they won the first Test by 163 runs inside four days last Sunday at Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad.
Published in The Express Tribune, Jun e 19th, 2010.
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