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The influences of an Indian and South African are bringing out the best in Barbadian cricketer Dwayne Smith.

For the last five years the 18-year-old Smith has admired and fashioned his cricketing skills after India's star batter Sachin Tendulkar and South Africa's allrounder Jacques Kallis.

On Monday, Smith, borrowed ingredients from both to fashion a maiden, first-class century, which saved Barbados from defeat against the Leeward Islands.

The former Garrison Secondary schoolboy was literally on show at the Ronald Webster Park in Anguilla. He cracked 102, an innings of great maturity that could signal a breakthrough.

I always liked how Sachin [Tendulkar] and Jacques [Kallis] play, Smith said after his knock. I told myself, you can do it too. I thought I would bat for the team, and I knew once I batted as long as possible I was going to score.

It was something he expected to complete at the youth level before the senior. But after three seasons in the three-day version of the game, he hadn't been able to even yield a half-century, so naturally he was totally overwhelmed by the innings.

He has never even scored a century at the Division 1 level for his club Caribbean Lumber YMPC. His dream of a first-class hundred is something he always envisaged.

When I started playing cricket from age six I always learnt to be very attacking. When I grew older my dad (former Carlton Division 1 captain Wilbur Bruce) helped me to develop that kind of attacking batting and it is coming through for me.

His father is also known to be a very attacking strokemaker.

He (Dad) gives me great guidance. He tells me to play straight and always keep concentrating. He told me once I do this that things would work out. I know he is very proud with my innings and I have to thank him for helping me, said Smith, who is known to be quite shy.

The returns have also been as a result of hard work in the nets with coach Henderson Springer.

The coach always drills into my head `keep it straight and concentrate'.The manager (Tony Howard) always tells me as well to keep my cool and bat for the team and I just keep remembering that.

Howard was delighted that the lad had heeded the advice and spoke of better things to come.

Dwayne has been getting good starts and losing it. I had a stern talk with him and he and the coach kept working. Dwayne has a good eye once he continues to mix his defence with his shot selection; it is always hard to restrict him.

In his five matches to date, Smith has scored 226 runs.

The soft-spoken Smith has a simple reply to tell fans who constantly say his batting is similar to that of Collis King,the former aggressive Barbados and WestIndies player.

The reply: I am Dwayne Smith, no one else!

© The Barbados Nation