England's Jamie Smith Faces Pressure After Trent Bridge Errors

The air on the ground was palpable and there was tension around on the second hottest day of Test cricket in England, and Jamie Smith, the English wicketkeeper, found himself in the crosshairs. 

While bowling to the overnight batter, Will O’Rourke who had come as a nightwatchman, Ben Stokes went wide of the crease, and tried to square him and got a thick edge that wicketkeeper squandered as he dived to his right right in front of the slip fielder, Joe Root who was going the other way. 

At the time, New Zealand’s score was 391 for four and they were cruising along nicely and they quickly added 30 runs to their overnight score. The pitch too was easing out nicely and wickets were at a premium. 

With New Zealand imploding to 438, the missed chance by Smith did not prove to be too costly for the England side, but it drew attention to the England’s continued tactics of choosing a batter who can keep wickets rather than going for the country’s best gloveman - Ben Foakes, who continues to remain out of action due a torso injury that he sustained while bowling at the end of the drawn test match last month. 

Just as in his dropping of the New Zealand skipper, Tom Lathan, down the leg side off Gus Atkinson on the first day of the match, many experts and commentators pointed out that Smith’s footing was at fault. With Latham, he appeared to have gone too far and missed the chance on the middle line. It’s hit with the heels of Jamie Smith’s hands,’ said former English fast bowler, Steve Finn on the Test Match Special. ‘That’s exactly what England did not need or want.’

For O’Rourke, his initial weight transferred to the left, meaning that he was on the stretch when the ball reached him - at about the point at which it was a 50-50 call on whether it was the keeper’s catch or that of the first slip. 

One of Smith’s primary issues is the lack of a rhythm, which is quite critical for wicketkeepers. The reason for his lackluster performance could be because he was missing in action for 10 days as he went on a parental leave before the start of the Test match and missed the second test, which England lost by 253 runs. 

In his absence from national duty, James Rew who took his place behind the stumps in the second test, did not appear to be ready to play at the top-level, but England opted to include him in the playing XI, instead of Jordan Cox from Essex who is a competent keeper. 

England identified Smith for his great ability to bat and turn the tide of the match with his smart acumen and aggressive batting style. He averages 40 with the bat and has a wonderful strike rate as a test match batter of 75. For supreme batting ability, he was even promoted to No.6 above Ben Stokes. 

But the real onus is on him to address the chat about his wicket keeping abilities, which may not be an easy task from him, considering he plays as a proper batter for his county side at Surrey. This means, the regular wicketkeeping drills with former England captain, and one of best wicketkeepers from England, Alec Stewart takes place only when Ben Foakes is absent. 

So far this summer, Smith has been practicing solely with the specialist coach, Sarah Taylor, who is often seen on the outfield before the play, hitting tennis balls at him from a distance of 10 yards. In her short period so far with the English men’s team, Taylor is said to have impressed the coaching staff. 

She even contacted the coaches before the start of the series to discuss Smith’s technique and Smith too has been enjoying the time training with her and the two share a great working relationship. Speaking about Taylor, England captain, Ben Stokes, said, “She is phenomenal at her job. She is in the dressing room because we feel she is the best person to enhance our fielding skills but also those of Jamie Smith. Stokes even spent time with Taylor during the England Lions tour to Abu Dhabi earlier this year.