Who said what - top 3 expert reactions on Jamie Smith's maiden Test 100 for England ft. Ian Bell
England wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith scored his maiden Test century against Sri Lanka on Day 3 of the first game of the bilateral series between the two teams played at Old Trafford in Manchester last week.
The Surrey man, picked in the side over the likes of Jonny Bairstow and Ben Foakes, shifted the momentum in his side's favour with his attacking intent. Sri Lanka often found it hard to bowl to him.
Smith's ton solved England's keeper conundrum for the moment and must have come as a massive relief to him personally after he missed out on scoring one by five runs against the West Indies earlier this summer.
In this listicle, we take a look at three reactions from experts on Jamie Smith's maiden Test ton.
#1 David Lloyd
Former England cricketer and commentator David Lloyd, who is known to be among the most passionate voices in the sport across the world, was all praise for Smith after he scored his first Test century.
Writing in his regular column for the Daily Mail, the former Lancashire man mentioned how Smith seems to be going from strength to strength and why he is going to have a big influence on the senior team in the future.
"I could watch Jamie Smith bat all day. What a terrific talent we have. He goes from strength to strength and is going to have a massive influence on this England team for years to come," Lloyd wrote.
"That was a wonderful century with real strokeplay and this lad has got power and finesse. He could very easily bat in the top four but wherever he bats, Smith will score thousands of runs for England. What a player," he added.
#2 Nasser Hussain
Former England captain Nasser Hussain was on air when Smith tucked Milan Rathnayake off his pads for a couple of runs through the midwicket region to pick up a couple of runs and get to his century.
He described the moment beautifully by saying that the wicketkeeper-batter seemed to be made for this stage as he was extremely calm and composed while scoring his maiden Test ton.
"He has taken to Test cricket like a duck to water. Hugely talented, utterly composed. You would think the first of many. And he has a beaming smile on his face, well played," he said.
#3 Ian Bell
Former England batter Ian Bell, who is now the batting coach of Sri Lanka, showered praise on Smith and said why he felt that the latter was destined to become a 'world-class batter.'
Bell has worked with Smith at the Birmingham Phoenix and England Lions in the past and has closely seen the wicketkeeper-batter's growth. The former Warwickshire man credited Smith's confidence for his success.
"The small part that I played in his development, I've watched a guy who's worked extremely hard. I'm sure he's going to be a massive part of this England team in all formats over a long time," said Bell via BBC.
"He's going to be a world-class player for England over a long period of time. He's confident, and he's taken to international cricket with ease," he added.