Maiden Test century follows hot on heels of 95 against West Indies, with more still to come
Vithushan Ehantharajah23-Aug-2024England’s wicketkeeping culture war has raged on for decades. But on Friday, if only for one day, there was peace in the world.A calming equilibrium was established in a void usually filled with conversations pitting technique against tenacity, catching percentages against batting average. A fresh, welcome relief.As Jonny Bairstow and Ben Foakes bagged County Championship half-centuries in Scarborough and south London respectively, Manchester belonged to Jamie Smith and his first Test century. Two impressive careers carry on off-Broadway as Smith takes centre stage for a run that already looks like outlasting either of theirs.Of course, Smith will eventually get sucked into that debate. Already, people are wondering if he needs the gloves at all – his batting is good enough to command a top-six spot outright, even if he only finds himself there because of Ben Stokes’ torn hamstring. But there is no need to get bogged down in any of that just yet. He will be around for a good while.His innings of 111 contained gear shifts, soothing drives and the odd outlandish whip to the leg side, and came one match after he had fallen short of his century by five runs in the third Test against West Indies. At the time of that innings, Smith had been happy with his lot, but he did anticipate feeling “a little bit gutted in a couple of days”. That sorrow never came, and the wait has been no wait at all.Smith showed patience throughout, particularly on Friday morning, taking 39 deliveries for the 28 runs required for his 11th first-class century. His marshalling of Gus Atkinson was particularly mature, helped by the fact that Atkinson can hold his own. The Surrey pair embraced after Smith tucked the ball off his toes for two runs to move to 100, before a subdued raising of his bat and helmet towards the dressing-room and the stands.That reaction was in step with what Surrey’s and England’s age-group coaches have said about Smith; he’s comfortable in his skin, mature beyond his years, and has steadfast belief in the skill at his disposal. He only turned 24 last month, but it feels as if he has been around the block. The nonplussed celebration of a moment every cricketer dreams about, but few ever experience, was a case of point.But beneath the calm exterior was a profound sense of pride. His parents were at the ground, along with his girlfriend, with whom he is expecting his first child. Messages from those watching on from afar were picked up once he walked off the field at stumps, each of them reinforcing the scale of his achievement to have even made it this far.”I probably didn’t show it, but inwardly I was obviously very happy with that milestone and I guess it’s proud,” he said. “I think, it’s when you look back and I guess it’s your phone; it sort of blows up with people that have either watched it or have played a part in your journey, messaging their congratulations.Smith cuts through the off side during his morning stand with Atkinson•AFP/Getty Images”My family are here, my girlfriend was here, so for them to experience it as well, people that played a significant part of being on the journey the whole way, I guess the overriding feeling is definitely pride.”As it happens, one of his earliest champions was sat on the Sri Lanka balcony. Ian Bell, currently acting as batting coach for the tourists, worked with Smith while coaching the England Lions. They also spent the last month together with Birmingham Phoenix in the men’s Hundred, where Bell would bait Smith that he couldn’t wait to arm Sri Lanka with the necessary information to best Smith.Speaking before Smith’s press conference, Bell could not withhold his pride. It was in 2023, on an A tour to Sri Lanka, that Smith struck the fastest century by a Lions batter which led Bell to rave about the keeper-batter to anyone and everyone. “Yeah, annoying,” was Bell’s first response when asked what he made of Smith’s progression to this moment. But the praise was not far behind.”I think he’s going to be a world-class player for England over a long period of time. He is class. And the players have acknowledged that it’s up to us now to find ways of getting him out in this series.”Fair play to him. Today, the game was on the line this morning, and the players have talked about it. We probably weren’t our best for that first hour, and he showed his class as well.Related
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“And you know, the small part that I suppose played in his development; I’ve watched a guy who’s worked extremely hard. He’s confident, and he’s taken to international cricket with ease. Even his celebration just shows the kind of person he is. And I’m sure he’s going to be a massive part of this England team in all formats to come over a long time.”Given Bell’s 118 Tests, he is as sage a judge as any when it comes to assessing what it takes to excel at this level. And Smith is already excellent. Granted, we are only five innings in, but the 318 runs at an average of 63.60, and the three fifty-plus scores speak of a cricketer tailormade for the big time. And it speaks volumes that, of all the talented keepers England have had behind the stumps, at 24 years and 40 days, he is the youngest of them to score a Test century.His glovework has been solid, with 18 catches so far, though he did miss a chance to register his first stumping on Wednesday, failing to gather a full dart from Shoaib Bashir when Sri Lanka skipper Dhananjaya de Silva had 65 to his name. And on Friday, his enthusiasm saw him trigger a rare no-ball law, with his gloves not “wholly behind the stumps”, which was flagged when England reviewed an LBW shout against the unbeaten Kamindu Mendis. Smith admitted he was not totally up to speed with the nature of his indiscretion. “I’ll know the law moving forward,” he said with a smirk.Neither were costly; Bashir eventually snared Dhananjaya for 74, and DRS would have stuck with the on-field not-out decision on umpire’s call for the impact into the stumps. But it was at least a reminder to Smith of the challenges within Test cricket. Not that he was under any illusions that all this was a piece of cake, despite how he has made it seem.”It’s not easy at all, no,” Smith said. “I think everyone knows, especially the way you play cricket, that there’s going to be ups and downs. I think that’s what it is and you’re riding the wave a little bit at the moment.”There’s going to be times when you’re going to be out of form, out of nick, and there’s going to be that judgement coming. When you do feel really good about yourself and the way you’re playing, it’s almost trying to take advantage of that as you can.”
