Jamie Smith takes century in his stride and marches on to bigger things | England cricket team

A leg-side dig off Milan Rathnayake did it, a assured one changed into a snug two, the query now of how the batter would have fun this second. Jamie Smith had change into a Take a look at centurion.

However there was no David Warner-esque skip-and-jump, no signal of theatricality underneath the Manchester solar’s visitor look. Solely a easy nod to custom: the helmet off and the bat raised for his teammates and crowd, a smile reserved for his batting colleague, Gus Atkinson. The lid was off for lower than 20 seconds earlier than he returned to his wide-crouching stance, prepared for the subsequent ball.

The shortage of celebration maybe hinted at an acknowledgement from Smith, that today had been coming. A primary Take a look at century is usually described as a “dream come true”. For some, that cliched chorus sounds extra acceptable, the hundred unlikely till it truly occurred, this the excessive level of a profession that in all probability gained’t produce one other. For others, blessed with the precise items and circumstances, the dream is actual from early on, that first hundred the beginning. David Gower as soon as referred to as his personal, strummed on the age of 21 towards New Zealand, “a stepping-stone”. Smith joins this group.

He got here via a Surrey system that more and more resembles an England pathway programme; see Atkinson and Ollie Pope for extra. A cricket scholarship on the fee-paying Whitgift Faculty, which counts Jason Roy and Rory Burns as former college students, won’t have harm.

Then there’s the expertise that has lengthy been evident and mentioned at size, trumpeted within the recreation’s circles when he was beginning out within the county first group. Mark Butcher remembers a telephone name from Ian Chappell years in the past, the previous Australia captain impressed by Smith’s work in grade cricket.

A primary-class debut in 2019 produced a century and a 266-run stand with Pope, and momentum started to assemble with three County Championship a whole lot in 2021. An 82-ball 126 for the Lions towards Sri Lanka A in Galle final yr helped arrange a Take a look at debut at Lord’s. Cue the inevitable half-century. So when Smith perished for 95 towards West Indies at Edgbaston final month, bowled by a low one from Shamar Joseph, it didn’t really feel as if his world had come undone. The landmark would come quickly sufficient.

Resuming unbeaten on 72 from Thursday, Smith seemed as if he’d slept higher than the opposition. Sri Lanka appeared off it from the primary ball, a misfield gifting Smith a single via mid-on. Asitha Fernando, so spectacular the day gone by, making the ball sway and jig, had his first over bookended by two scrumptious boundary drives, one via long-off, the opposite via and further cowl.

Smith slowed up however didn’t battle within the nineties, with 19 balls required to get via it, no seen fears of getting to attend one other day for 3 figures. Historical past got here with the second. Smith, 24 years and 42 days previous, grew to become the youngest gloveman to hit a Take a look at century for England.

It’s arduous to search out any faults at current. Smith has saved wicket calmly throughout 4 Exams. He has the runs Jonny Bairstow was trying to find, first at seven, now at six. He has a strike price Ben Foakes was by no means going to achieve. After all it will get harder from right here, the pressure of getting to do it towards the white ball subsequent as England get him in there as quickly as doable. Regardless of the poker face, Smith has already talked about how mentally draining Take a look at cricket might be. However brighter days will inevitably comply with, as they all the time have.