Superman Smith is found out

CRICKET: Unstoppable in the Ashes, the world’s No.1-ranked Test batsman and, officially, the best since Bradman ... but Steve Smith can be stopped.

And South Africa have worked out how to do it.

The incredible numbers that make up Smith’s body of work have been discussed at length during the skipper’s ridiculous purple patch that has lifted his career average to a shade under 64, brought forth 23 Test centuries and seen him deliver countless time on the biggest stage.

But there is a chink in his armour. And it’s led to the world’s most dominant Test batsman delivering two sub-par – by his lofty standards – performance to open the series against South Africa.

That might seem harsh, considering he notched a first-innings half-century before departing for 56, however it falls beneath his career average.

The key to it all? Left-arm orthodox spin.

Cricket fans would’ve been stunned to see part-timer Dean Elgar claim the skipper’s scalp when he trapped Smith lbw for 38 with a delivery which pitched in line and straightened.

Smith attempted an unconventional sweep, but missed the ball completely – and then burnt a review in attempting to save his bacon.

It couldn’t be done and he was on his way, again falling to leftarm spin and growing the belief that Australian cricket’s Superman does in fact have a Kryptonite.

Since the start of 2016, a period in which Smith has enjoyed incredible individual success, the 28-year-old averages an almighty 73.17 – with 10 centuries and 2561 runs.

That average plummets to 21.92 when he is facing left-arm orthodox spin.

Smith’s struggles against the left-armers have been exposed before.

On Australia’s four-Test tour of India last year, he lost his wicket to the crafty Ravindra Jadeja on three occasions – while on the 2016 tour of Sri Lanka, Rangana Herath dismissed him five times out of six.

In both innings in Durban, Smith again fell to slow left-arm bowling.