Steve Smith...

Watched a session of Ashes cricket today at a local pub. Steve Smith’s figures are almost Bradmanesque, and getting better with every match he plays against England. We just can’t get him out. But watching him is exhausting. He seems to have adopted every mannerism - every tic, spasm, twitch and tremor - of every batsman who has ever played the game, and has added a few more that are uniquely his own. Before every ball he pulls at his sleeves, adjusts his pads, gloves and box, and counts all the fielders, while blinking, grimacing and keeping up a runnng commentary on the game. His strokeplay seems more idiosyncratic with every innings he plays, but he makes up for his eccentricity with amazing hand-eye co-ordination. He’s a run-machine… and has just reached a personal milestone of 200 runs.

Steve Smith: seeing the ball as big as a beach-ball...