THE MAN ENGLAND MUST STOP!
Marcus North on the immovable Steve Smith
page 11
When Steve Smith first came into the Australian side back in 2010, it should be noted that he hadn’t just walked off the park in a club game and into the Test squad. He was making runs and performing very well in Shield cricket for New South Wales against decent attacks, and had built a reputation for being a player that had a bright future.
Baggy Greens aren’t handed out because there is ‘some’ potential; the selectors need to see something that will deliver instant rewards at the very highest level. When he made his Test debut against Pakistan as an all-rounder – during a two-Test tour of England – he was batting at number eight and his leg-spin bowling was probably more eye-catching.You forget it now because of how good he is with the bat, but his bowling probably bought him a bit more time. It’s the same with other players who can do a bit of both. I myself probably would not have played 21 Test matches if I wasn’t able to offer some support as a second spinner.
With Smith, the critics were soon circling. He didn’t weigh in with the wickets and his technique at the crease had a few people scratching their heads for answers, and his place in the side was never secure until he registered his first century in the fifth Test at the Oval in 2013. From there, he has just moved onto a different level. Now, in a nutshell, there is Steve Smith, then there is daylight, and then there is the rest…
I was in the Australian set-up when he first came into the ranks, but I first noted his ability a few years later, somewhere around 2012 when Western Australia played New South Wales in Sydney. He had worked on his technique; it was still quirky, as it is today, but there were less moving parts and everything just appeared a lot smoother.
He had also learnt to manage his game more. By that I mean he was more fluid with the pace of his innings and the rashness that had plagued his earlier days had gone. There was more responsibility and that is what makes him stand above the rest today. Australia build everything around him; he is pretty much the complete player.
Funnily enough, I saw a similar transformation in Jonny Bairstow. He was a bit loose when he first came through for England but a few years back I was playing for Glamorgan against Yorkshire at Colwyn Bay, and Jonny just looked a different player. He was more upright, bat lifted, and he had a lot more time at the crease which allowed him to cash in with the bad ball. It’s these adjustments made by both players that make them so dangerous where they can punish anything and make the most of wayward bowling. It means they don’t have to force the issue when the bowlers have found their radar.
Because of this, Bairstow is key to any success England are to have in this series. Elsewhere in this paper, Paul Nixon has highlighted the need for Jonny to move up the order and I can’t stress that enough. He is a seriously talented batsman who was just wasted coming in at number seven in Brisbane. That was a nonsense call. England’s top seven have to get in and score big, and there are signs they can do that as the three Ashes debutants – Mark Stoneman, James Vince and Dawid Malan – all looked in good touch first dig at the Gabba. But I wouldn’t make too much of the conditions this week in South Australia favouring England. I think they are right up against it.
The first Test was tough because they were challenging, but it was a bit like watching a rugby Test match against the All Blacks.You can stay with them for 65 minutes, but they always win those big moments and that’s what Australia did last weekend.
With Smith in such imperious form, England need to be ready to pounce otherwise the series could run away from them over the next few days.
By 2012, Smith had learnt to manage his game. He was more fluid and the rashness that had plagued his earlier days had gone