Confident Steve Smith relishing Lord's reunion
By Charlie Bennett at Lord's
The Home of Cricket is where the heart is for Steve Smith, and the batting great believes Australia's excellent Lord's record puts them in a strong position for the ICC World Test Championship Final 2025.
Advertisement
Australia defend their title against South Africa from Wednesday, and they could not have hand-picked a better venue outside of their home country.
Traditionally, Australia have always thrived at Lord's. They have won two of their last three Test matches here and were unbeaten between 1934 and 2009 – a run of 18 Tests. Add to that, they have won seven of their last 10 ODIs since 2005.
As you would expect for a player with 36 Test centuries and an average of 56.74, Smith has an excellent Lord's record as well.
He scored a double-century in an Ashes Test 10 years ago, and 110 in 2023, helping him to 525 runs in total and an average of 58.33.
Indeed, he is just 51 runs away from becoming the highest-scoring overseas player in Lord's history – an honour that currently belongs to his countryman Warren Bardsley, who last walked through the Long Room with pads on 99 years ago.
Advertisement
So, it is no wonder Smith – relaxed and refreshed after a three-month break from cricket – is in a confident mood.
'We have been training really well, the last week or so,' he said.
'The batters feel like they are in a good place, now we will go out and play. We have very fond memories of the World Test Championship Final from down the road at The Oval.
'Coming here to Lord's, it's a place we have traditionally played good cricket so we are excited about the prospect of facing South Africa here.
'The Dukes ball is a bit different to what we have with our home and away games most of the time, but we are excited about this contest.'
Advertisement
Breaking the habit of a lifetime, Smith has downed tools since the ICC Men's Champions Trophy 2025, where Australia lost in the semi-finals to India.
Even in his time off, he normally keeps a bat close at hand so he can practice in the mirror. But this time, he opted for a clean break and peppered his social media channels with updates of his life in New York City with wife Dani.
At 36, Smith is refusing to look too far into the future and has previously conceded this may well be his last appearance at Lord's – with Australia not due to play here again until 2027.
Still, with four Test hundreds in his last eight innings, he remains one of the best players in the world, and so it is no surprise that, when he picked up a bat again last week, things immediately clicked into place.
Advertisement
And it is a good thing it did. South Africa boast one of the best bowling attacks in the world, led by Kagiso Rabada – second in the ICC Men's Test Bowling rankings – and Marco Jansen, and Smith admits he and his fellow batters will be under pressure.
'Us batters have our work cut out,' he said.
'They're a good side, they're here for a reason. South Africa have been a good cricket side for a long time.
'I have had a good break, had a couple of months off, and had a first hit the other day, and it has clicked into place.
'It is a nice place to bat, I have had some success. It takes time to get used to the slope, but you get value for shots, especially hitting down the hill.
Advertisement
'It can be nice to hit on. It can be tricky when it moves around, batting here is about playing what is in front of you.
'Spin will play a big part as the game goes on as well. It is dry, there has not been too much rain, it does look dry, and I think spin will come into it.'
Smith has seen it all and won it all too. A world champion in all three formats, he admits Australia's 2023 World Test Championship success ranks as high as any other.
'It was right up there to win it,' he said.
'It was great to win a Test Champ final, and be back here to defend our crown. We have had a good team for four years now and we're desperate to defend it.'
© ICC Business Corporation FZ LLC 2025
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Dominic Smith's two-run home run (3)
Dominic Smith ties the game in the top of the 3rd inning with a two-run home run to right field
New York Post
5 hours ago
- New York Post
Why Pete Crow-Armstrong is bigger NL MVP challenger to Shohei Ohtani than you think
Gambling content 21+. The New York Post may receive an affiliate commission if you sign up through our links. Read our editorial standards for more information. Oddsmakers are essentially handing the National League Most Valuable Player award to Shohei Ohtani for the second straight year. Could you blame them? The Dodgers' two-way star has been one of the best hitters in baseball – again – and he's back on the pitcher's mound. But Ohtani is not as much of a shoo-in as he was last season, and his competition is much stronger this time around. Pete Crow-Armstrong has burst onto the scene as one of the best players in the sport, and he's arguably been more valuable than Ohtani in 2025. The Cubs have also been the slightly better team, leading the Dodgers, who haven't been the juggernaut they expected to be, by a half game in the standings heading into Saturday's play. This begs the question, why is Ohtani, who is currently -1150 to win the award at FanDuel Sportsbook, so heavily favored over PCA, who has the second-best odds (+1000)? Wins above replacement isn't the end-all-be-all, but it paints a much different picture than Vegas odds boards. Crow-Armstrong currently leads Ohtani by a healthy margin in both FanGraphs and Baseball Reference WAR, even when taking into account the latter's time on the bump. Oddsmakers are probably anticipating Ohtani to bridge that gap now that he's back pitching, but he hasn't shown the ability to pitch deep into games at all, and time is running out to make a real impact there. Ohtani has made seven starts and has thrown just 15 innings. Last time out, he had to leave the game early with cramps. The Japanese star's hitting numbers are all down from the gaudy numbers he put up in 2024 as well. Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers looks on from the on deck circle in the fourth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at George M. Steinbrenner Field on August 01, 2025 in Tampa, Florida. Getty Images Ohtani is slashing .271/.376/.604, which are all a couple of ticks below last season, and his stolen bases are way down from 59 to just 13 this season. Unlike Ohtani, Crow-Armstrong is playing the field, and arguably doing it better than any player in baseball, making SportsCenter Top 10-worthy plays on a near-nightly basis in center field. His numbers at the plate aren't all that far off from Ohtani's, too, hitting .273/.309/.560 with 27 homers and 29 stolen bases. As mentioned, Ohtani's team is doing him no favors either. After coming into this season with one of the highest win totals ever, the Dodgers are barely holding on in the NL West, sitting just three games up on the Padres, who had a massive trade deadline with the division in sight, heading into Saturday's play. Pete Crow-Armstrong #4 of the Chicago Cubs celebrates a home run against the Kansas City Royals during the eighth inning at Wrigley Field on July 23, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. Getty Images How could voters give Ohtani the award if the Dodgers blew the division over the next two months? Locked in a tough battle with the Brewers, Cubs may not win their division either, but they've outplayed their preseason projections, largely thanks to the emergence of Crow-Armstrong. Lastly, we should expect some voter fatigue with Ohtani, who has won MVPs in three of the past four seasons, finishing second in the AL MVP voting in the only season he didn't win the award. Learn all you need to know about MLB Betting Ohtani's name value has him lapping the field, but the race between him and PCA is much closer than assumed after a deeper look. But if the season continues as is, will voters really reward him for this relatively underwhelming season with a rising superstar as the alternative? Grab Crow-Armstrong to pull off the upset in the NL MVP race before the rest of the baseball world catches on. The play: Pete Crow-Armstrong to win NL MVP (+1000, FanDuel Sportsbook) Why Trust New York Post Betting Dylan Svoboda is a versatile writer and analyst across many sports. He's particularly knowledgeable about the big three — MLB, the NFL and the NBA.
New York Post
5 hours ago
- New York Post
Browns reporter takes savage shot at Bill Belichick-Jordon Hudson romance in Hall of Fame speech
Browns beat reporter Mary Kay Cabot took a brutal jab at Bill Belichick's highly publicized romance with 24-year-old girlfriend Jordon Hudson on Friday when she accepted the Bill Nunn Memorial Award during the Pro Football Hall of Fame Gold Jacket Dinner in Canton, Ohio. Cabot, who began covering the Browns in 1991, the same year Belichick, 73, took over as coach in Cleveland, first joked about going through the wringer with the future Hall of Famer. 'Bill Belichick was the first Browns coach I ever covered,' Cabot began, as covered by Awful Announcing. 'You see, if you start out with Bill Belichick, no one can rattle you after that. If Bill didn't like something I wrote, he'd call and yell at me. If you asked a dumb question, he'd call you out. Eventually, I had to learn to stand up to him. During one of those yelling matches, I told him, if you don't have the 'footballs' to say that to the guys, then don't say it to me. Bam.' Advertisement 4 Bill Belichick's relationship with Jordon Hudson was referenced in Mary Kay Cabot's speech in August 2025. Getty Images That's when Cabot's speech pivoted to the UNC coach's widely scrutinized personal life. Advertisement 'But now, I totally understand why Bill gave me such a hard time. I was 28 at the time, and he just couldn't relate to a woman that old,' Cabot said as the audience roared with laughter. Although many on social media also chuckled over Cabot's zinger, the remarks didn't appear to please everyone. 4 Mary Kay Cabot speaks at the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame Gold Jacket Dinner on Aug. 1, 2025. Scott Galvin-Imagn Images 4 Bill Belichick and Jordon Hudson went public with their relationship in 2024. Getty Images Advertisement On Saturday, Hudson's X account reposted a message from a separate user that read: 'Not much of a 'laugh.' No wonder so many have contempt for the media, especially those who want to be the story rather than [report] on the story.' Belichick's romance with Hudson was first revealed in June 2024. 4 Bill Belichick is preparing for his first season as football coach of the Tar Heels. AP Their relationship has largely been under a microscope following a disastrous 'CBS Sunday Morning' interview in April, when Hudson pushed back on a question intended for Belichick about how they met. Advertisement Amid speculation about her role in Belichick's personal and professional endeavors, the eight-time Super Bowl-winning coach made it clear in May that Hudson does not 'have anything to do with UNC football.' Belichick and the Tar Heels open the 2025 season against TCU on Sept. 1.
