10 hours ago
Jamie Smith blasts century in blazing England counter attack against India
They might consider renaming the venue 'Edgblaston' after the Surrey wicketkeeper-batter's heroics.
With England tottering on 84-5 in the wake of India 's first innings 587, Smith joined Harry Brook in the middle with Mohammed Siraj on a hat-trick and proceeded to take the game back to the tourists.
If there are any further doubters as to Smith's position as the nation's number one in his position they've surely now been won over, as the 24-year-old dazzled with a series of boundaries off both seam and spin. For a time it looked as though he might beat Gilbert Jessop's 76 ball ton scored at The Oval against the 1902 Australian tourists.
While that didn't quite come off it was apt that he joined his batting partner Brook on joint third in the roll of honour for the all-time fastest hundred for England. Smith went to three figures off just 80 balls and achieved the feat before the lunch break on day three.
Together, the pair hammered a partnership worth over 150 runs by lunch, and now well over 200, as they helped the hosts towards their first target, to avoid the possibility of being asked to follow on.
Brook himself reached his ninth Test century in the first half hour of the afternoon session, as the England recovery continued. In contrast to the bombastic nature of Smith's output, Brook's hundred came from 137 balls which is his joint slowest in test cricket.
However, he is now the second quickest England player to reach nine test centuries behind Denis Compton. At the drinks break in the afternoon session England were 301-5, still trailing by 286 but in a much better position thanks to the heroics of Smith and Brook.
