Steve Smith stole the headlines once more, doubling up for the third time in Test cricket. Rich Evans reports from Old Trafford.
Steve Smith edges the first ball just short of third slip before almost nicking off to Stuart Broad, reminding us there is a mortal buried in there somewhere. He’s then irked by light reflecting off a Sky truck behind the bowler’s arm, with the press amused by the inept attempt to cover the windshield with a white sheet trapped between two moving wipers. Yep, that’s fixed it – a measured whip through the leg-side before a gorgeous cover-drive.
But Smith’s supposed series nemesis, Jofra Archer, bowling a few mph quicker than yesterday, responds: a caught and bowled chance squandered, an inside-edged induced, a bumper brushes Smith’s back to the delight of the locals. Another one fended away, the third left alone, a fourth short one of the over.
The new ball was taken after 80 overs and you sensed that England needed to win the next hour or be batted out of the contest. But presenting Smith with a fresh challenge only served to enhance his focus. Skipper and former skipper played authoritatively – Smith posting 150, Paine his half-century (though not before a pull was dropped by sub Sam Curran), with England dealt a further blow when Ben Stokes – who had earlier pushed the 90mph mark – left the field with a sore shoulder. England were officially out of ideas, as Smith hit his hundred for the day and began to open up once more. He rode his luck, sure, falling short of boundary fielders on occasion, but he had earnt it, as Australia reached 369-5 at tea.
Paine (58) nicked off to Craig Overton first ball after the break, but a six from Smith off Leach signalled there was to be no change in momentum. The left-arm spinner removed Pat Cummins to make it 387-7, caught by Stokes at slip, but Smith marched on. He went from 191 to 197 with an effortless six before clipping his way to a double century, with Mitchell Starc also playing some superlative strokes down the ground.
Smith eventually fell – to a Joe Root leggie of all things, caught on the reverse-sweep at backward point, as if both sides were bored by his superiority. He walked off at 438-8 to a few boos and many more cheers, with the fifth highest Test score at Old Trafford. Starc smashed his way to a 49-ball fifty, punishing a tired attack, before Australia declared on 497-8, giving themselves around an hour at England’s top order.
Starc started brightly, letting his presence known by rapping Joe Denly on the wrist, who subsequently struggled against Josh Hazlewood. But it was Cummins who got him, Wade grappling the sharp chance at short-leg on the second attempt. Nightwatchman Overton and Rory Burns survived to stumps at 7:15pm, with a deficit of 474.
