Ace Australia batter Steve Smith on Saturday, December 27, became the second-highest run-scorer in his country’s Ashes history, as he went past Allan Border to place himself next to only batting legend Donald Bradman.
The milestone came during the fourth Ashes Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, even though Smith endured a difficult game with the bat overall.
Smith scored just nine in the first innings, falling to Josh Tongue, but showed greater resistance in the second. With wickets tumbling around him on a hostile track, he remained unbeaten on 24 off 39 deliveries, struck a solitary boundary and stood almost alone as Australia’s batting collapsed once again.
Smith’s consistency across Ashes contests has now lifted him above Allan Border in the all-time charts. Across 40 Tests against England, he has amassed 3,553 runs at a brilliant average of 55.51, including 12 hundreds and 14 fifties in 72 innings.
Border ended his career with 3,548 runs against England from 47 Tests at an average of 56.31, with eight hundreds and 21 fifties. Only Bradman now sits ahead of Smith, having amassed a staggering 5,028 runs in 37 Tests at an extraordinary average of 89.78.
Meanwhile, a fighting England won their first Test on Aussie soil in 15 years Saturday, restoring their battered pride with a gutsy four-wicket win against Australia to clinch a chaotic fourth Ashes clash that was all over inside two days.
England dismissed Australia for a paltry 132 soon after lunch in front of a bumper 92,045 crowd at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, after the 20 wickets that tumbled on day one.
It left them chasing 175 to win, with Harry Brook unbeaten on 18 and Jamie Smith on three seeing them home for the loss of six wickets to huge roars from their travelling ‘Barmy Army’ of fans.
Star batter Jacob Bethell contributed 40 and Zak Crawley 37.
“A good feeling, a tough tour up to now. After the build-up to the Test, a lot was thrown our way, to put in a performance on the back of all that, and beat a very good Australian team, a lot of credit has to go to players, staff and management for keeping the focus on cricket,” England skipper Stokes said.