Jamie Smith becomes youngest wicketkeeper-batter for England to slam a century

Old Trafford: England wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith on Friday slammed his maiden Test century against Sri Lanka and became the youngest to do so for the Three Lions in the history of this form of the game.

England and Sri Lanka are currently locking horns against each other in the first Test of the three-match series at the Emirates Old Trafford in Manchester.

Smith touched the 100-run mark in 136 balls. The right-hand batter scored 111 runs off 148 balls which was laced with eight boundaries and a maximum in his innings. This knock helped the hosts to take a first innings lead on the third day of the Test match.

The Surrey cricketer's maiden ton in the longest format of the game made him the youngest English wicketkeeper-batter to smash a hundred. He is 24 years and 40 days old when he completed his hundred. He broke the record of Les Ame who did it when he was 24 years and 63 days old against the West Indies in Port of Spain in 1930.

Jamie Smith also became the first England wicketkeeper-batter to reach a century since December 2022. Ollie Pope, their stand-in captain in Manchester hit a century against Pakistan in Rawalpindi 18 months earlier.

"He has taken to Test cricket like duck to water," Nasser Hussain, who was on-air, said.

Smith got 70 in his Test debut against the West Indies and came close to a century in his third Test. His knock off 70 runs featured two sixes and eight fours, highlighting his aggressive hitting approach. He proceeded to impress in successive Tests, showcasing his ability to adjust to varied conditions and bat further down the order.