Australia v England: fifth Ashes Test, day three
The Australian became the second-highest run scorer and also the batter with the second-highest number of centuries in Ashes history.
Steve Smith created more Test cricket history at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Tuesday, moving past Jack Hobbs to become the second-highest run scorer in Ashes history with a spectacular ton that also moved him to second on the Ashes century list.
Australia v England
The 36-year-old hit his 37th Test century as he built on Travis Head’s blistering knock of 163 to take Australia past England’s total to gain a key first innings lead for the hosts.
Smith moved past Hobbs’s 3636 to be second only to the great Sir Don Bradman in the Ashes top run scorers’ list. His 13 hundreds against England are also only bettered by Bradman who has 19 centuries.
Smith made his Ashes debut in 2010 at Perth and it took him 15 innings to record his first hundred which came in 2013 at The Oval, and the right-handed batter hasn’t looked back since. His best performance in an Ashes series came in 2019 when Australia toured England for four Tests in which Smith amassed 774 at an average of 110.57.
His century in Sydney was the first of this series and also his 18th century as captain, with six of those centuries coming against England, the most against any team as captain.
The 36-year-old’s ton was crucial as he took Australia‘s lead past the 50-run mark on day three after Head had given the hosts the perfect platform.
Starting the day at 166/2, Head continued to assert himself on the English bowlers as he notched up his 12th century before adding another 63 runs to get Australia within a hundred runs of the English total before being dismissed.
Smith, well backed by Cameron Green, then helped Australia go into the lead and assume a position of strength while notching up milestones of his own.
Australia had secured the series after winning the first three Test matches before England ended their 14-year wait for a Test victory in Australia with a win in Melbourne to gain precious ICC World Test Championship points.
Ashes schedule:
First Test: Perth Stadium, November 21–22 (Australia won by eight wickets)
Second Test: Gabba, December 4-7 (Australia won by eight wickets)
Third Test: Adelaide Oval, December 17–21 (Australia won by 82 runs)
Fourth Test: MCG, December 26-30 (England won by 4 wickets)
Fifth Test: SCG, January 4-8
117th over:
Australia 481-7 (Smith 117, Webster 19) Here we go! Webster steps back, prepared to launch. Potts follows him at speed. But the Australian allrounder is good enough to hoist it off his chest to the mid-on fence. Steve Smith then gets in on the action pulling Potts square for another boundary. Desperate, Potts sprays a bouncer way above the batter’s head. Smith enters panto-mode and calls for a wide and the umpires give it to him.
113th over:
Australia 463-7 (Smith 110, Webster 9) Here is a change to the bowling at least. Matthew Potts, sitting shitty at 0-125 from his 22 overs, re-enters the fray. It’s been an unhappy match so far for the 17-year-old. He came into his 11th Test with 36 wickets at an average of 29. But that’s all went up in flames here with just one maiden and zero wickets and run-leakage of five+ per over. Australia ease him around for another four here, the bright spot for England a mistimed Smith chip that falls short of third man.
Australia vs England 5th Ashes Test Day 3 Score Updates:
After Travis Head’s fiery 163, Australia skipper Steve Smith continued his team’s charge with a magnificent hundred against England on Day 3 of the 5th Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Opening the innings, Head produced a explosive knock with the bat. He looked set to complete a double ton before Jacob Bethell got him out LBW. Marnus Labuschagne, who accompanied Head at the start of play on Day 3, was dismissed just 2 runs shy of his half-century. Thanks to Smith’s century, Australia have their eyes on the 500-run mark. Earlier, England were all out for 384 with Joe Root scoring his 41st Test century. For Australia, speedsters Mitchell Starc (2/93), Michael Neser (4/60), and Scott Boland (2/85) were amongst the wicket-takers.
112th over: Australia 459-7 (Smith 107, Webster 8) No Stokes, only more Bethell. What is happening? England need somebody to stand up and fight fire with fire (or at least staunch the flow of runs). An unfussed Australia now lead by 75 runs.
111th over: Australia 456-7 (Smith 106, Webster 6) Uh-oh, England. Smith celebrates his century in the last over by fumbling Carse through the covers for another four (his 12th). The floodgates could open here. Surely Stokes comes back into the attack and brings this to a head champion-to-champion.
110th over: Australia 451-7 (Smith 101, Webster 5) As Steve Smith waves his bat with characteristic cool, England look knackered. Smith’s 13th Ashes ton is a real gut punch to their hopes of winning this Test and walking away with a respectful 3-2 scoreline in the series. Can they find something, anything?
Steve Smith’s 37th Test century
A short ball from Bethell and a swipe across the line from Smith gives Australia’s ‘best-since-Bradman’ his latest century – his 13th ton against the old enemy. He runs a rapid three and then hoists his bat and kisses the coat-of-arms on his helmet to a standing ovation from his home crowd. Delirium scenes at the SCG as the crowd rises to their feet and roars echo around the ground. We saw England’s master batsman Joe Root light up the arena on days one and day two and now Smith has ignited day three. Marvelous stuff!
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