Steve Smith Smashes Century In His First Red-ball Game In 3 Months, Sends Ashes Warning

No hit with the red ball for over three months? Steve Smith extended his remarkable run in whites in the Sheffield Shield encounter against Queensland at the Gabba today, as in his first first-class game since July, the Australia vice-captain hammered his 53rd first-class ton to send an Ashes warning to England.

Smith last played red-ball cricket in the Tests against West Indies in July, where he looked in fine touch, proving to be one of the standout batters on surfaces that were a paradise for seamers. Today, he picked up from where he left off as he posted 118 off 176 balls to mark his return to his favourite format after an extended break.

This was a one-of-a-kind knock, as Smith initially struggled considerably. Walking in at 116/2, he struggled to get off the mark and at one point was 0 off 21 balls. However, he then peeled off consecutive boundaries to get his innings up and running. 

After weathering the initial storm, the man who is set to captain Australia in the upcoming Ashes did not look back, as he breezed through to a fine century. He enjoyed a fantastic 202-run stand with another capped batter, Kurtis Patterson, who himself posted a century. 

This ton means that Smith has now amassed five centuries in his last nine red-ball matches. It started at the Gabba against India, and he’s since then scored a century in Melbourne in the same series, two tons against Sri Lanka in Galle and now a century in his first Sheffield Shield game of the season. 

Smith will captain the side and bat at No.4 in the Ashes, and these are ominous signs for England, as the right-hander averages 68.98 as captain in Test cricket.