PORT ELIZABETH, South Africa (CMC):

WEST INDIES batsman Marlon Samuels said he felt like a 'warrior' when he took on the South African bowlers on the first day of the first Test match at Sahara Oval, St. George's, yesterday.

In a knock that required great discipline and maturity, Samuels made 94 from 195 balls, with 12 boundaries, which was the platform for the West Indies reaching 281 for four at stumps.

Captain Chris Gayle made 66 from 49 balls with 13 fours, while Shivnarine Chanderpaul was unbeaten on 43 off 128 balls when play ended due to bad light.

"I felt really pumped up at the crease today. I felt like a warrior carrying the charge for the team," Samuels said.

Banter fired him up

The 26-year-old Jamaican added that banter from South African fast bowler Andre Nel helped to fire him up.

"Nel is a warrior on the field and on the field I'm a warrior too. It (banter) worked in my favour. He gave me a few words which really got me hyped up and I would like to 'thank' him for that. He got me going."

Samuels admitted, however, that he was upset to fall just six runs short of what would have been his second Test century, but felt some contentment as his innings put the team in a good position. His highest Test score - and only Test hundred - is 104 against India in Kolkata in 2002.

"I'm very disappointed to miss out on another century, and I've missed out on a few. I went out there knowing that South Africa's bowlers are consistent, and that's why I would have to be patient and dig in as much as possible. My work paid off well, but not well enough for me," he said.

Often criticised for displaying a lack of patience at the crease, Samuels batted for almost 4 1/2 hours on a St. George's Park pitch that lacked the pace and bounce that home captain Graeme Smith was probably anticipating when he chose to put West Indies in to bat.

Favourites

Samuels also believes that the South Africans may have been complacent on the opening day with the media and experts tagging them huge favourites to win the series handsomely.

"We probably caught them on the back foot. South Africa probably thought they could get a bag of wickets at the top but Chris and the other guys really set the tone for us and had them (South Africa) under some pressure from early.

"We have been written off before this tour started but we have a bunch of talented guys who want to play cricket the hard way and are eager to play hard. Cricket is a 'glorious game of uncer-tainty' so we showed that we have come out to play some hard cricket and put up a strong challenge in all areas," Samuels said.