Smith stars as England pile on the runs against West Indies / Photo: Paul ELLIS - AFP
Smith stars as England pile on the runs against West Indies
Jamie Smith marked his Test debut with an impressive 70 as England established a huge first-innings lead over the West Indies at Lord's on Thursday.
England were dismissed for 371 on the stroke of tea on the second day of the first Test to leave them 250 runs ahead of the tourists.
Smith, averaging over fifty in the County Championship this season for title-holders Surrey, took his club form into the international arena with an assured 119-ball innings, including eight fours and two sixes.
The wicketkeeper, who turns 24 on Friday, produced the fifth fifty of the innings after Zak Crawley (76), Ollie Pope (57), Joe Root (68) and Harry Brook (50) had all previously reached the landmark.
England were already in a commanding position before the second day started after debutant fast bowler Gus Atkinson, a Surrey team-mate of Smith, had taken a sensational 7-45 on Wednesday as West Indies were skittled out for just 121.
England resumed Thursday on 189-3, already 68 runs ahead, after the 26-year-old Atkinson had eclipsed James Anderson in what is the record-breaking paceman's 188th and last Test before his England retirement.
Root was 15 not out and Brook 25 not out, the Yorkshire duo walking out Thursday in sunny conditions ideal for batting.
With the ball not deviating greatly in the air or off the pitch, it was all the more important for the West Indies' pace attack to maintain an accurate line and length.
England, however, scored briskly, with star batsman Root cover-driving Jayden Seales for a textbook four and Brook commandingly hooking Shamar Joseph for six.
But Brook top-edged a simple catch to wicketkeeper Joshua Da Silva after trying to hook an Alzarri Joseph bouncer from outside off stump, with England now 244-4.
West Indies left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie struck twice before lunch, bowling both England captain Ben Stokes (four) and star batsman Root with sharply turning deliveries.
Smith and Chris Woakes kept the runs coming after lunch in a seventh-wicket stand of 52 before the recalled all-rounder holed out in the deep off the new ball.
Atkinson experienced another side of Test cricket when caught behind for a golden duck off Jason Holder -- having inflicted a similar fate on the all-rounder on Wednesday.
Smith had been chosen as England's wicketkeeper ahead of Surrey colleague Ben Foakes in part because the selectors felt he was better at batting aggressively with only the tail.
He proved them right by going on the attack when pulling a six off Shamar Joseph -- who later left the field with what appeared to be a hamstring injury -- before launcing another off Seales that cleared the Tavern Stand.
After Shoaib Bashir was brilliantly run out by Mikyle Louis' direct hit from point, No 11 Anderson walked out to a standing ovation from MCC members in the Pavilion for what could be his last Test innings.
The 41-year-old, however, was left stranded on nought not out without facing a ball when Smith was caught at deep backward square leg to give Seales his fourth wicket of the innings.
Thursday was also 'Red for Ruth Day' at Lord's -- a fundraising drive for a cancer charity established in memory of Ruth Strauss, the late wife of former England captain Andrew Strauss.
R.Wilson--EWJ
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