Smith Achieves Milestone with Rapid Half-Century at Lord’s

LONDON: During the ongoing third Test of the five-match series against India at Lord’s, England’s wicketkeeper-batsman, Jamie Smith, etched his name in the record books on Friday with a significant first-innings half-century.

Smith’s energetic innings of 51 runs, delivered in just 56 balls, propelled his total runs in the current series beyond 400. He now stands as only the third English wicketkeeper to reach this milestone.

With 407 runs accumulated in five innings, boasting an impressive average of 135.66, Smith is within striking distance of setting a new benchmark for the most runs scored by an England wicketkeeper in a Test series.

The current record is held by Alec Stewart, who scored 465 runs against South Africa in a five-match home series in 1998. Les Ames occupies the second spot with 417 runs, achieved in a four-match away series against the West Indies in 1930.

Most Runs by an England Wicketkeeper in a Test Series
  • Alec Stewart: 465 runs
  • Les Ames: 417 runs
  • Jamie Smith: 407 runs (ongoing)

Remarkably, Jamie Smith has a maximum of five more innings in this series to score 59 runs and overtake Stewart at the top of the wicketkeepers’ list.

Smith’s resilience, combined with Brydon Carse’s half-century and a remarkable century from Joe Root, enabled England to post a total of 387 against India in the first innings.

In reply, India had scored 101/2 in 30 overs, with captain Shubman Gill and KL Rahul remaining not out on 11 and 36, respectively, at the time of reporting.