WE MUST GIVE STEVE HEAVE-HO

Woakes: Smith is run-machine who has to be taken out early in Tests

CHRIS WOAKES knows England need to develop a plan to remove the threat of Steve Smith – and this time do it before he reaches three figures.

The England pace bowler has fared better than most in recent skirmishes, picking off Smith four times in eight Tests and three times in their last four meetings in 2019.

But as Woakes (right) pointed out, given Smith had 142, 92 and 82 at the time, those personal victories came at the end of battles in which England had already been routed.

“I’ve bowled at Steve quite a lot and he is a world-class player who has had a lot of success against us as an England team,” said Woakes. “And, while I feel like I have got him a few times, he’s probably been on 150 at the time! It would be nice to get him a little bit earlier.” Smith proved the difference between England and Australia in the last three Ashes series, topping runs charts with 508 and two centuries in 2015, 687 with three hundreds and an average of 137.40 in 2017-18, and a staggering 774 in just four Tests with three hundreds, including a double in 2019.

So, clearly, if England can formulate a plan to remove Smith (far right) repeatedly in the upcoming series, it would be a huge step in the right direction.

It will not be lost on either side that Jofra Archer (above), now absent through injury, bounced him out midway through the second Test and forced him to sit out the third at Leeds, which England won by just one wicket.

Mark Wood (right) may be deployed to try to repeat the feat on hard Aussie wickets, but either way Woakes says England’s analysts are hard at work. “We’ve got to figure out ways to keep him quiet because when he does well, Australia does well.”

Neither side have had a smooth preparation going into next week’s series opener at Brisbane, a venue where England have not won since 1986.

And neither side have escaped off-field issues, with England cricket’s racism investigation dragging in captain Joe Root and Australia losing their skipper Tim Paine to a sexting scandal.

Woakes conceded Ashes heat can be hotter than any other series, but predicted both of those sensitive subjects will be off-limits when it comes to sledging.

Asked whether they were fair game or trivial subjects, Woakes said: “They definitely aren’t. What’s happened around both camps, a lot of those issues are personal. Cricket is played best when that sort of stuff is left to the side and you let your skills do the talking

“Whatever goes on on the field, goes on on the field, and an Ashes series raises that rivalry.

“But, in my experience, playing in three Ashes series, it’s not overstepped the line once when I’ve been around so I don’t see it being any different.”

Tests Innings Runs Highest score Average 100s

50s

Tests Innings Runs Highest score Average 100s

50s 4 7 774 211 110.57 3 3

27 48 2,800 239 65.11 11 9