Rolls-Royce’ Smith wants to keep clearing stands
England’s Jamie Smith says he wants to keep clearing stands after his blistering knock put the hosts in a commanding position over West Indies in the third Test.
The 24-year-old whacked West Indies fast bowler Alzarri Joseph over the roof of the Eric Hollies Stand off just the 11th ball he faced on day two as his impressive 95 provided the backbone of England’s first-innings total of 376.
Joe Root, stood at the non-striker’s end, was open-mouthed at the size of the shot and the ball had to be replaced after it disappeared into the River Rea which runs behind that part of the ground.
It was the second time in this summer’s Test series with the West Indies that Smith has hit the ball out of the ground, having pummelled Jayden Seales over the Tavern Stand at Lord’s.
“Hopefully, it’s a trend moving forward. It means I’m moving in the right direction,” Smith said.
“It’s a great memory to look back on, and in the future and when I come here with Surrey it will be something to brag about with a few of the lads as well.”
Smith was anointed as England’s first-choice wicketkeeper this summer as coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes made a bold call with one eye on the next Ashes campaign.
He was given the gloves ahead of an out-of-form Jonny Bairstow and Surrey team-mate Ben Foakes, who keeps ahead of him in the County Championship.
Foakes is widely regarded as the best gloveman in England – if not the world – but even his fiercest backers would struggle to build a compelling case that he could replicate this kind of innings with the bat.
With 61 first-class matches and 3,546 runs at 41.71 Smith is not hardly a novice, and would have been knocking on the door of the Test side as a batter regardless.
He has been firmly on the radar of Stokes and McCullum ever since he walloped a 71-ball century for England Lions against Sri Lanka in February 2023.
West Indies’ bowling attack, perhaps unwisely, persisted with a short-ball approach – something Smith could potentially face on the fast bouncy pitches in Australia in the 2025-26 Ashes.
But Smith said he is someone who is not going to be a “sitting target” and if bowlers “are coming to attack you” then he would counter by “going to attack them”.
“In county cricket you don’t tend to get people bowling 90 miles an hour to you, round the wicket, so it’s a new way of playing,” he added.
“I’ve spoken to a few of the lads knowing that it could be an option teams might use against us, having a bit of preparation in the nets. For me, it was a shorter boundary with the wind.
“It’s nice to set up early in your career that you are someone who is going to go out and be positive, not be afraid of the opposition. It might bring about my wicket a few times but I’m not too worried about that. I am out there to score runs.”
England have ‘big talent’ in Smith
Smith had already shown glimpses of his talent for England with 70 on his Test debut at Lord’s, although those runs came in slightly less taxing circumstances.
England were already in a strong position so he was given a bit more freedom to play without the fear of consequences as he neatly moved through the gears.
When he arrived at the crease at Edgbaston and looked at the scoreboard England were 169-6 with West Indies still 113 runs ahead.
So an innings of real substance here represented a breakthrough knock, even if Smith acknowledged he would probably “be a little bit gutted” to miss out by a maiden Test hundred by only five runs when he reflects on it later.
Former England spinner Phil Tufnell was full of admiration for the manner in which Smith approached the match situation.
“That knock from Jamie Smith was like a Rolls-Royce innings, it was smooth,” Tufnell said on BBC Test Match Special.
“He got himself in, unlike some of the others who have a dart, he just weighed up the situation beautifully and perfectly. He just cruised about, it was beautiful.”
Ex-West Indies all-rounder Carlos Brathwaite said Test cricket “seems to be easy” for Smith, who has also caught the eye with his performances behind the stumps.
“He’s been flawless with the gloves and he’s just smashed it to all parts,” Brathwaite said.
“It was really good to see him counteract the short-ball barrage and play through the line so fluently.
“It was a domineering type of innings and it took something really special to get him out. It was a really vital and important knock. There is a lot more there. He is a big talent for England.”
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