Test cricket can often seem quite bizarre. Consider the case of Jamie Smith, who captivated a beer-soaked crowd at Edgbaston on the second day with a spectacular innings, only to leave the field five runs short of his first Test century, looking completely dejected.
Smith’s potential is too bright to ignore; it feels almost certain that he will achieve that milestone one day. However, such thoughts were distant from the 24-year-old’s mind when, at 5:10 PM, he was outsmarted by a clever slower bouncer from Shamar Joseph, resulting in the sound of clattering stumps. As he exited amid warm but regretful applause, no amount of encouragement from his England teammates could alleviate his disappointment.
However, consolation was found in the state of the match, which had decidedly tilted in England’s favor by the end of the day. Following Smith’s impressive 95 off 109 balls and a smooth 87 from Joe Root—marking his 12,000th Test run—the hosts recovered from a shaky 54 for five to finish at 376 all out, establishing a lead of 94. In the final hour, they struck twice with the new ball, placing the visitors in a precarious position at 33 for two.
It was fitting that Chris Woakes should ignite this late surge with his final delivery of the over, clean bowling Kraigg Brathwaite with a remarkable ball. Woakes formed a crucial partnership of 109 with Smith, contributing a steady 62 from No 9. Gus Atkinson, who also played a role in England’s innings with a couple of explosive sixes, subsequently ended Kirk McKenzie’s disappointing series.
This was tough for the West Indies, especially after a morning session that had started brightly. Ollie Pope fell victim to Shamar Joseph, chopping on to his stumps, and Harry Brook followed, faintly edging Jayden Seales behind for a mere two runs. England, at five down and still 228 runs behind, found themselves in a significant predicament.
Yet, as the number of wickets fell for England, they were reminded of the near-miss from the previous day with Mark Wood. West Indies also had a moment of distortion when they neglected to review a potential lbw against Root, which would have shown three reds on Hawk-Eye.
This pivotal moment became more significant as Root built his innings and ascended to seventh in the all-time Test run-scorers list, surpassing Brian Lara. He formed a crucial partnership of 115 with Ben Stokes, who smoothly hit his way to 54. Stokes showcased his skill with clean straight drives and even sent Gudakesh Motie’s left-arm spin into the Hollies Stand with an impressive six.
Following Stokes’ dismissal to Alzarri Joseph after lunch, it was time for Smith to take the stage with a brilliant innings. Similar to his debut performance at Lord’s, Smith displayed an impressive combination of a sharp eye and sheer power. Early on, he hit a massive six off Alzarri Joseph that cleared the Hollies Stand, prompting a change of ball, and left Root astonished at the other end.
Despite this, England was not entirely secure when Root fell lbw to a straight ball from Motie, leaving them at 231 for seven—still 51 runs behind. A collapse at this stage could have changed the match’s dynamics. However, who better than Woakes to stabilize the innings? On his home ground, he complemented Smith perfectly, using his intimate knowledge of Edgbaston’s dimensions to weather a barrage of short balls—his perceived weakness—and hitting seven elegant fours.
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This created an electric atmosphere around tea time, with the crowd becoming increasingly animated as the score climbed, enjoying light-hearted interactions with Mikyle Louis on the boundary.
West Indies, having previously faltered, found their strategy against Smith and Woakes increasingly flustered, while Smith displayed unwavering precision in his shot selection. Each mistake by the West Indies was met with punishment from Smith’s bat.
Ultimately, it was a brilliant delivery from Shamar Joseph that brought Smith’s innings to an end, the disheartening sound of his off stump falling echoing in his ears. Nevertheless, Smith’s performance indicated that a three-figure score is not too far away.
