Tiger Smith: Much more than an outstanding wicketkeeper – Almanack

The death of Ernest James (Tiger) Smith marks the end of an era in cricket. He had played with and against WG Grace; he had kept wicket for England against Australia before the First World War, and his connection with Warwickshire spanned no fewer than 75 years. He was the oldest living Test cricketer up to the time of his death.

Ernest James Smith – for over 70 years he had been known as Tiger, although a few Warwickshire associates called him Jim – was born in Benacre Street, Birmingham; a street which has now disappeared, that area of Birmingham having been replaced by a series of ring roads, underpasses and flyovers near the centre of the city. But it used to be about a mile from the Edgbaston ground, and, four months after Tiger Smith was born, Warwickshire played their first match at Edgbaston.

In 1902 Edgbaston became a Test match venue, and on May 31, thanks to Wilfred Rhodes, England bowled Australia out for 36. Young Smith was working at Cadbury’s then, and two years later he offered his services to Warwickshire as a wicketkeeper, although he had lost the tips of two fingers in a works accident.

He loved thinking about the cricket, and in particular about the craft of wicketkeeping. In assessing Bert Oldfield and Dick Lilley as the greatest wicketkeepers who have ever played, he referred to an enthusiasm greater even than dedication. He was too modest to claim that attribute for himself, but others would claim it for him.

When Field-Marshal Slim spoke of the Birmingham spirit of resilience, adaptability and a cheerful refusal to lie down under difficulties, he had summed up Tiger Smith in a nutshell. The 17-year-old boy from Benacre Street who had lost the tip of two fingers in a works accident, and who asked the Edgbaston authorities for a job as a wicketkeeper, possessed these qualities in good measure. Which was why he played for England at the age of 25.