Jamie Smith Shines as England Fights Back Against West Indies Towards Victory in The 3rd Test
Jamie Smith showed off his skill as England turned the tide on the second day of the third Test against the West Indies at Edgbaston.
Thanks to Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes, and Smith’s outstanding 95, England was able to rally despite a rocky start.
West Indies 282 and 33 for 2 (Louis 18*, Athanaze 5*, Woakes 1-8, Atkinson 1-16) trail England 376 (Smith 95, Root 87, Woakes 62, Stokes 54) by 61 runs.
Who looked the best in it? Though opinions on the acid-dream catwalk from the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics are undoubtedly mixed, the answer was more obvious at Edgbaston.
A confident, youthful talent emerged and captured the majority of the attention on the runway, following the gracefully aging supermodels Joe Root and Ben Stokes in their mission to demonstrate how it’s done. But neither man displayed any diva tantrums along the way, nor did they show any smug delight when Jamie Smith fell before he could execute his winning pose.
Stokes, sensing Smith’s anguish, instead threw his head back and raised his arms in dismay as Shamar Joseph’s off-cutter stayed low, dropped beneath a pull shot (which had been such a standout aspect of his innings until that point), and poked back off stump. Playing in just his third Test match, Smith was five runs short of his first century.
It was worth celebrating that he had already reached his second half-century. Additionally, he had led his team above the 284 of the West Indies and was a major factor in their 94-run first innings lead, at least for England supporters.
Great credit was already owed to Root and Stokes, who combined for 115 runs for the sixth wicket in the first half of an hour on Saturday after England lost two important batsmen in two overs in which they resumed on 38 for 3. And to Chris Woakes, who amassed 62, most of which came during a century partnership with Smith.
Following Woakes’ removal, which was bowled by Alzarri Joseph, the evening drinks break was observed. Thirteen balls later, Gus Atkinson holed out to deep midwicket, ending England’s innings. However, not before thrashing twenty-one off sixteen balls, including backward square sixes off Joseph, who finished with four wickets and an economy-rate just under seven.
This gave England an hour to make mistakes, which they duly did thanks to Woakes, who rattled Kraigg Brathwaite’s off stump for a six-ball duck, and Atkinson, whose messy seam delivery outside off drew a prod from Kirk McKenzie.
Smith, unable to avoid the limelight, then took a straightforward catch. After being hit by a Mark Wood yorker that hit him flush on the boot, Mikyle Louis was left spread on all fours and was almost out of the game due to a close LBW call by the umpire. Louis and Alick Athanaze were both unbeaten by stumps on the second day, when the West Indies had reduced the margin to 61 runs.
Following Root’s magnificent 87, which included his 95th Test score of fifty or more, Smith carried up where his elders had left off for the England cause, taking him past 12,000 runs and securing his place eighth on the all-time run-scorers’ list ahead of Brian Lara. While both had left well before teatime, Smith, the 24-year-old wicketkeeper-batter who hit 70 on his debut in the opening Test of this series at Lord’s, was on 57 not out. Stokes was as determined to record his 46th such total.
West Indies’ afternoon session began ominously as Alzarri Joseph let up 10 runs in the first over, including a short ball that fell well in Stokes’ hitting zone, which he easily removed for four runs to reach his half-century after the West Indies had gone to lunch on 48 not out.
Three balls later, Root reached the 12,000-run mark with a similar delivery that was pulled to the boundary. However, the short-ball strategy paid off in Alzarri Joseph’s subsequent over, which saw Stokes dive into a constricted pull right in front of Brathwaite’s square leg where he was positioned and take a crisp catch while jumping with both hands extended above his head. This over was significantly higher, at chest height.
England was still behind by 113 runs at that time, but Smith quickly found his rhythm. If his attempt to snag the ball off Alzarri Joseph was awkward as it looped off his glove and past goalkeeper Joshua Da Silva to the boundary rope, his subsequent strike, which he dragged onto the Hollies Stand roof and never looked back, was incredible.
Left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie denied Root his century just as he had in the first Test at Lord’s, this time with a ball that kept low and skidded against the inside-edge of the front pad as the batter pushed forward to defend.
Also Read: Atkinson, Wood and Woakes Shine, Seales Strikes Late as West Indies Post 282
Along with that decisive six, Smith reached his fifty by striking a full Jason Holder delivery outside of long-on for four. This was one of his innings’ twelve wickets. In one Alzarri Joseph over, he hit three fours for a total of 17 runs, with two exquisite pull-shots preceding a steer through excellent leg.
Woakes was also outstanding; he reached his half-century shortly after Smith was removed, and their combined 106 runs were crucial to England’s lead. Following the host team’s first-day meltdown, which continued into the second morning, England was steadied by Root and Stokes.
After being 6 not out the previous night, Ollie Pope managed to add just four more runs when he edged a boundary beyond second slip. Shamar Joseph then bowled him, but the delivery stayed low as he tried to cut and rebounded onto his stumps.
After just three balls faced, Harry Brook was caught off guard by a drive from Jayden Seales that veered off course and landed in Da Silva’s palms behind the stumps.
Root had made it through the second over of the day when Seales hit him on the pad. The West Indies made strong pleas for leg before wicket, but they didn’t check the decision when Root was declared not out. Later replays revealed that ball-tracking indicated it should have struck leg stump.
After brushing it off, Root went about trying to rebuild. He hit back-to-back fours with Alzarri Joseph to reach 25, and he reached his fifty with a single off Holder.
Shortly before lunch, Stokes showed his mettle by punching Holder down the ground for four. He then slog-swept Motie into the Hollies to get within one boundary of his fifty, only to see Smith better his shot.
