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[fros23]

So Steve Smith has racked up his third hundred over the back to back ashes series, something that only Clarke and Lord Ian Ronald Bell have managed to do and there is still plenty of condemnation of him, mostly from my fellow English supporters.  Is this a case of us English not wanting to heap praise on him or does everyone feel that he is not cut out for test cricket?  He has more test hundreds than Root and is one behind Watson who is far more experienced.  Does that fact that he has a slightly ungainly looking technique at times prevent him from being rated by the majority?  I seem to recall that Collingwood was not a pretty batsman from a purists point of view but you would find very few Englishmen who wouldn't back him in a test match.  Is it just a case of rivalry that he gets plenty of stick from an English point of view or do Aussies view him in the same way or viewed Collingwood in the same way?

[smilley792]

he has done well. he's certainly a fighter.


will be interesting to see how he gets on against the south Africans. if he mayes a ton there. he will be the real deal.

[fros23]

he has done well. he's certainly a fighter.


will be interesting to see how he gets on against the south Africans. if he mayes a ton there. he will be the real deal.

He did well in India as well, so if he does well in South Africa is that the 'final frontier' for him and he can be classed as a test quality batsman?

[WalkingWicket37]

He did well in India as well, so if he does well in South Africa is that the 'final frontier' for him and he can be classed as a test quality batsman?

Ive always thought his critics were harsh, he's not textbook but had talent. He won me over as test class in india, and 3 ashes hundreds is an achievement. He's scored twice as many tons this series as the whole England team!

[DanBess13]

He is doing very well and he will definitely be in the aussie side for years to come, he has the potential to become a high ranked batsman and he's a fast and good in the field as well

[fros23]

Ive always thought his critics were harsh, he's not textbook but had talent. He won me over as test class in india, and 3 ashes hundreds is an achievement. He's scored twice as many tons this series as the whole England team!

Is he still partly being judged on his performances when he was thrown in to the side in the 2010/11 series?  He seems to have worked hard and knows his game now as a batsman who can bowl a bit rather than the new warne as he was dubbed when he first started.  He is never going to be a Michael Clarke but he could well be a damn fine test batsman for Australia.

[procricket]

He is a dam fine batsman no doubt about it.

Big reservations about him but he is quality watching him he looks akward and ungainly but effective.

All he needs to do now is stop spitting every two minutes

[Over Gully]

The thing I find funny is that Poms continue to deride Smith, poor technique, etc, etc, yet as pointed out, he has scored 3 tons over the back-to-back series, yet you put Joe Root on a pedestal and he has shown far less. Smith is far from the green-horn he was in the 2010-11 series, he has improved his technique, he's gone back and made good shield runs and really starting to show he is comfortable at Test level. As an Australian, I find it very interesting that they have let Smith find himself, work out his game, refine his technique, yet they have interfered with Phil Hughes to the point where he never may come back and be the player he promised to be.

[smokem]

I have to say I was a Steve Smith doubter. But he played some quality knocks in India and my view started to change. His footwork to the Indian spinners on their home tracks was very impressive - among the best in the Aussie side. I was a bit miffed that he was initially left out of the Ashes squad in England. But he was later included and he's kicked on and made tons in the next 2 series. He looks unorthodox but he is a scrapper which I like. He's also a great fielder and a useful leggy who can break partnerships. He has risen since taking on the NSW captaincy and if he maintains his form and stays in the test side, he will be captain one day.

[Gerry SA]

Hint of Stephen Waugh is in Steven Smith's batting.

He's nuggety and values his wicket very highly. Gets tough runs and can absorb pressure.

If he's half as great as Stephen Waugh, the Australians will have a fine player.

[ammo]

He finds a way to score runs therefore it works,
Who knows maybe the "textbook style" is wrong all about perspective i guess

[Wickets-then-runs]

He definitely is a lot more settled at the crease these days. Even six months ago he would really fidget when taking guard: in fact, Andrew Symonds was commentating on a limited overs game Smith was batting in and started counting how many times he would straighten his pad, thigh guard etc and stopped counting at something like 15...

[awp]

At the same age/stage I think better than s waugh, as gerry says, an ominous sign for opposition.
I dont understand al the talk re his technique on here.  This is typical pom stuff, confusing style with technique.  All pom batters want to look pretty first play tidily from the crease.  That's not how to bat ..... clearly. Smith play forward, and back both sides of the wicket.   His average reflects being inconsistent,  normal stuff for a 23 year old. 

[Vic Nicholas]

A 20 year old kid who made 37 in his debut knock...had Andy "I am a moron" Flintoff tweeting "Australia are taking the piss if they think Steve Smith will ever make it as a test #6 batsman". In the last test of that series Smith made a gutsy 50 off not out.

The funny thing is, all you English fans treat everything Flintoff tweets as some sacraments of sacred knowledge to be passed down from generation to generation.

Steve Smith at the age of 23 has THREE Ashes hundreds.

Flintoff is now in hiding...typical sniper of kids.

[Alvaro]

The funny thing is, all you English fans treat everything Flintoff tweets as some sacraments of sacred knowledge to be passed down from generation to generation.

You what now? All he tweets is drivel and abuse of Rob Key.

Enjoy those beers tonight Vic.