Jamie Smith continued his remarkable run of form in Test cricket, bringing up yet another milestone during the third Test against India at Lord’s. Needing just three runs to reach 1,000 Test runs, the 24-year-old wicketkeeper-batter achieved the feat in style by hitting a boundary off Mohammad Siraj on the first ball of the 87th over.
With this, Smith became the joint-fastest wicketkeeper-batter to score 1,000 Test runs, reaching the mark in just 21 innings—a record he now shares with South Africa’s Quinton de Kock.
Fewest innings to 1,000 runs by wicketkeepers:
21 – Quinton de Kock (South Africa)
21 – Jamie Smith (England)
22 – Dinesh Chandimal (Sri Lanka)
22 – Jonny Bairstow (England)
23 – Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka)
23 – AB de Villiers (South Africa)
24 – Jeff Dujon (West Indies)
In terms of balls faced, Smith is now the fastest ever to reach 1,000 Test runs, having taken just 1,303 deliveries—surpassing several modern-day greats.
Fastest to 1,000 runs by balls faced (Wicketkeepers):
1,303 balls – Jamie Smith (England)
1,311 balls – Sarfaraz Ahmed (Pakistan)
1,330 balls – Adam Gilchrist (Australia)
1,367 balls – Niroshan Dickwella (Sri Lanka)
1,375 balls – Quinton de Kock (South Africa)
Smith’s consistency has been one of the few bright spots for England in the ongoing series. He began the series with solid contributions of 40 and 44 in the first Test at Leeds, both innings coming at crucial junctures.
At Edgbaston, he played one of the finest knocks by an English wicketkeeper, scoring an unbeaten 184—now the highest score by an England wicketkeeper in Tests, surpassing Alec Stewart’s 173. He followed it up with a valiant 88 in the second innings, though England eventually lost the match.
In the ongoing third Test at Lord’s, Smith once again made a vital contribution, scoring a brisk 51 off 56 balls. His 84-run partnership with Brydon Carse for the eighth wicket helped England post 387 runs in their first innings, stabilising the lower order after a mid-innings collapse.
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