Jamie Smith, 24, scored his first Test century in just his fourth appearance for England in whites. He became England’s first wicketkeeper-batsman in 18 months to score a Test hundred.
In just his fourth game wearing whites for England, wicketkeeper Jamie Smith scored his first-ever Test century. On the third day of the first Test match between Sri Lanka and England at Old Trafford, Smith reached the landmark. In just 136 balls, the Surrey batsman reached the three-figure mark, giving England the early advantage in Manchester’s first innings.
Jamie Smith achieved another milestone by being the youngest England wicketkeeper to reach a hundred runs in a Test match. When he scored a century in a Test match for England against the West Indies in Port of Spain in 1930, Les Ames, then 24 years and 63 days old, held the record, which he broke.
Jamie Smith, who appears to have a lengthy career ahead of him for England in whites, had a magnificent hundred. Smith appeared at ease right away after making his debut earlier this year against the West Indies. He ran hard between wickets, played conventional cricket shots, and took advantage of boundary-scoring opportunities to keep the clock ticking over. When facing a strong Sri Lankan bowling lineup, Smith was commended by the on-air Kumar Sangakkara for being compact and not playing loose strokes.
With his helmet off, Jamie Smith faced the Old Trafford locker room with his bat in the air. Brendon McCullum, the head coach, and captain Ben Stokes, who was in Manchester to support the team, appeared happy with the young player’s performance. With vice-captain and half-centurion Harry Brook out of the game at 187 for 5, England were in serious trouble. Still, Smith and Chris Woakes added over fifty stands, followed by Smith and Gus Atkinson, to help England escape.Nasser Hussain, who was hosting the show, remarked, “He has taken to Test cricket like duck to water.” Against the West Indies, Smith opened his Test career with a 70 and nearly reached a hundred in his third Test.
With two sixes and eight fours in his 70-run opening inning, Smith demonstrated his aggressive batting approach. In the ensuing Tests, he showed off his impressive versatility by batting with the lower order and adapting to varied situations.He was instrumental in England’s comeback against the West Indies at Edgbaston, making 95 runs off 109 balls. His collaboration with Joe Root and subsequently Chris Woakes was crucial in getting England nearly equal. One noteworthy facet of Smith’s performance was his ability to shift gears and challenge the West Indies bowling, especially with his pull shots.
