Cricket: Smith unhappy with pitch despite record win

South Africa players celebrate their record win over New Zealand. Photo / Reuters

JOHANNESBURG - South African captain Graeme Smith laid into the state of the country's pitches after his team surged to a record win over New Zealand in the first cricket test today.

South Africa won by 358 runs after lunch on the fourth day to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.

The result was South Africa's biggest win in terms of runs, and it was also New Zealand's heaviest defeat.

South Africa achieved their previous record when they beat England by 356 runs at Lord's in 1994.

New Zealand's biggest loss before this match came when Pakistan beat them by 299 runs in Auckland in 2001.

Smith, however, did not appear to be in a celebratory mood.

"It was never going to be easy on a wicket like that," he said.

"You had to get the basics in place, and I think we did that.

"Wickets around the country are becoming poorer. In the last two years it's become more difficult to find decent test wickets in South Africa.

"If we're going to take our game forward we need to take note of those things."

The second test in Centurion starts on Friday.

- REUTERS