2 days ago
Steve Smith becomes the greatest visiting scorer at Lord's, as Kagiso Rabada creates his own history at WTC
At the party they always get to host but never get the chance to play in, English cricket has again been left to gaze on enviously at Australia.
In this third World Test final to be staged in England, it had been that old nuisance Steve Smith — in all his familiar idiosyncratic glory even while suffering with a dose of the flu — marking himself the greatest overseas top scorer in all Lord's Tests with a knock of 66 that took his total to 591 in 10 innings.
Smith moved ahead of Australia's Warren Bardsley (575 runs in seven innings), West Indian legend Garry Sobers (571 runs in nine innings), and the legendary Sir Donald Bradman (551 runs in eight innings) to become the most prolific visiting batter at the home of cricket.
And he probably should have scored more.
He was left fuming at himself for falling to part-time spinner Aiden Markram when creeping ever so slightly in reach of a 37th Test century.
"I'm still trying to fathom how I've done that," Smith said, putting his head into his hands.
While the vicious Australian pace attack once again came to Lord's and left English onlookers positively blushing with envy, it was a South African bowler that created his own small piece of history.
Kagiso Rabada became just the second player in history at Lord's to have his name gilded on the honour boards of both the home dressing rooms and the away dressing rooms.
Before the first day of the final, only one other Test player in the storied 141-year history of the longer format at Lord's had appeared on both boards, after legendary West Indies opener Gordon Greenidge scored tons for the Windies in 1984 and 1988, while also notching 122 for Rest of the World in 1987, when that team was playing out of the MCC dressing rooms.
A piece of sticky batting tape with Rabada's name written on it in pen has been attached to the board for his figures of 5-51, as is the tradition for players during matches. The gold lettering should soon follow.
"It was cool to have it in the home changing room now," said Rabada, whose name is on the board in the away dressing room for the 5-52 he took for his country in a Test against England in 2022.
The 30-year-old fast bowler had come into the match with something of a cloud hanging over him having recently served a short ban for recreational drug use.
"It wasn't my best moment, as I have alluded to," Rabada said, in a matter-of-fact manner.
"Life moves on. Every game that I play for South Africa, I try to do my best."
AAP/ABC
