Despite being designated Blue For Bob day, it was a challenging one for the young cricketer, Bluey. As Jamie Smith showcased his prowess on the Birmingham pitch, it became increasingly difficult to see how Jonny Bairstow could reclaim his spot in the team.
On the previous day, Surrey’s wicketkeeper Smith delivered an innings that justified his selection over Bairstow—who was the standout player during the initial summer of Bazball—and his teammate Ben Foakes, not just for this series but for the future as well.
After a shaky start with a two-wicket loss to West Indies on the second morning, senior players Joe Root and Ben Stokes put together a significant partnership that brought England back to level terms. However, the team still found themselves 113 runs behind when Smith arrived at the crease, batting at the unusual position of number 8.
If there was pressure on Smith, he certainly didn’t show it. He confidently navigated the afternoon session, reaching a half-century in just 60 balls before continued rain delays pushed him into an even more aggressive stance after tea, helping England regain their footing alongside the steady Chris Woakes.
The most surprising aspect of Smith’s innings was its abrupt conclusion, falling five runs short of his first Test century. An off-cutter from Shamar Joseph proved to be his undoing, crashing into the off-stump unexpectedly.
Jamie Smith (pictured) steadied the ship for England on day two of their third Test against West Indies.
Smith hit 95 off 109 deliveries to justify his selection for the Test side over Ben Foakes (left) and Jonny Bairstow (right).
While the pressure was on Smith (pictured), he didn’t show it, moving to a 60-ball half-century.
Having previously scored two Test centuries on this very ground against India in 2022, Bairstow expressed a strong desire to earn his 100 caps before the match began. However, the smooth transition that Smith made into the international game makes it seem unlikely for Bairstow’s ambitions.
Smith’s impressive performance, complemented by a half-century from Woakes at his home ground, led England to a comfortable 94-run lead, which was further solidified as West Indies concluded their innings at 33 for two.
Despite leaving the field due to a thigh strain the previous evening, Woakes bounced back, striking in the first over of West Indies’ innings by catching Kraigg Brathwaite off guard with a perfect delivery. When Kirk McKenzie fell for the last time, with only 33 runs to show for his efforts throughout the series, the iconic Hollies Stand erupted with energy.
Mikyle Louis, the adopted hero of the Hollies, narrowly escaped a dismissal due to two strokes of luck; Stokes surprisingly dropped a catch from Woakes, and an umpire’s call saved Mark Wood from an LBW decision.
Ultimately, the day heavily favored England. After being at a precarious 169 for six shortly after lunch, West Indies seemed to hold an advantage, but Smith quickly turned the tide with a powerful counterattack against Alzarri Joseph’s bouncers.
On Thursday, Bairstow (pictured) helped Welsh Fire seal an emphatic victory against Manchester Originals.
Smith (pictured) though agonisingly fell short of clinching his first Test century today at Edgbaston.
On debut earlier this month, Smith had cleared Old Father Time at Lord’s. Now he was hitting the ball into an adjoining county.
Stokes was then unwittingly involved in a landmark number himself when, having reached a 63-ball 50 – two balls slower than Root – he became Alzarri Joseph’s 100th Test wicket.
A gloved boundary allowed Joseph to gain the upper hand, but Smith quickly responded by hitting the ball over the Hollies stand and into the brook, crossing the boundary that traditionally marked the divide between Warwickshire and Worcestershire.
Earlier this month, on his debut, Smith proved his mettle at Lord’s. Now, he was sending balls soaring into a neighboring county.
While Gudakesh Motie troubled Smith briefly, it was Root who became the left-arm spinner’s only victim, bowled out by an arm ball that slipped past the inside edge.
Root was disappointed as he silently strode off the field, reflecting on what could have been. Just 13 more runs would have marked his 33rd Test century, placing him alongside England’s all-time leading centurion, Alastair Cook.
This moment offered West Indies a glimmer of hope in competing for the first-innings lead, but it was swiftly extinguished as Smith’s destructive batting style partnered with some elegant strokes from Woakes diminished those chances.
Zac Crawley (pictured) opened the batting for England and managed 18 runs off 13 balls.
Jayden Seales (pictured) celebrates as he takes Crawley’s wicket, with England getting off to a slow start.
Ben Duckett (pictured) was also dismissed for three runs off 12 balls, while Ollie Pope managed 10 runs.
Although England stumbled to a dismal 54 for five early in the day, it became increasingly evident that day two was a batsman’s paradise.
This narrative might have played out differently had West Indies, capitalizing on their fuller length bowling, decided to review a leg before appeal against Rooy in the second over—replays indicated that Jayden Seales’ delivery would have hit leg stump.
England’s other two centurions from Trent Bridge did not last long: Ollie Pope succumbed to an unfortunate chop onto his stumps from Shamar Joseph, while Harry Brook fell victim to Seales after an ill-timed swing at his third delivery, prompting a jubilant celebration from Seales, recognizing the significance of dismissing a batsman with a phenomenal average second only to Donald Bradman along with celebrating his 50th Test wicket.
However, Root quickly reminded everyone of his relentless scoring ability, a moment later, with a delicate tuck off Seales that moved him past Brian Lara, placing him seventh on the all-time Test run-scoring list.
West Indies unsuccessfully burned a review for caught behind against Stokes, attempting to end a 50-run partnership that took just 61 balls for the sixth wicket. To add further insult, England’s captain raised the team’s score to 150 shortly thereafter with a sweeping shot off Motie.
A total of 119 runs were tallied during the session, and another 117 ensued throughout the afternoon, which included the solitary run that marked Root’s entry into the elite group of players with 12,000 runs in Test cricket.
Unbeknownst to Stokes, he would also be a part of a landmark of his own; after reaching a 63-ball 50—slower by two balls than Root—he became Alzarri Joseph’s 100th Test wicket. Baited into the Windies’ short-pitched ploy, he unfortunately found a fielder in square leg.
Removing his helmet, Stokes scolded himself as he walked off, reflecting on what had been his third consecutive dismissal where he had dismissed himself through a well-aimed catch.
However, Stokes’ encounter with Smith on the pavilion stairs signaled a significant shift in the overall atmosphere.
