Steve Smith overtakes Bradman, Sobers to reign as overseas run King at Lord’s

Former Australian skipper Steve Smith etched his name deeper into cricketing folklore, becoming the highest run-scorer among overseas players in Test matches at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground. The milestone came during the ongoing ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Final against South Africa on Wednesday.

The 36-year-old right-hander compiled a composed 66 off 112 deliveries, striking 10 boundaries in a trademark display of class and control. With this knock, Smith’s tally at the ‘Home of Cricket’ now stands at 591 runs from six matches and 10 innings, at an imposing average of 59.10. His record at Lord`s includes three half-centuries and two centuries, with a highest score of 215.

By surpassing this mark, Smith overtook notable legends, including fellow Australian Warren Bardsley (575 runs in 5 matches), West Indies great Garry Sobers (571 runs in 5 matches), Don Bradman (551 in 4 matches), and Shivnarine Chanderpaul (512 in 5 matches) to become the most prolific visiting batter at Lord’s.

Smith’s landmark innings also saw him surpass Sachin Tendulkar in a major ICC record. The Australian veteran now holds the second-most fifty-plus scores in ICC tournament knockout matches, registering his seventh such score, edging past Tendulkar’s six. During his knockout appearances, Tendulkar had scored 682 runs in 15 matches at an average of 48.71, including one century and five fifties.

Smith has consistently delivered on the big stage. In this WTC final, he walked in under pressure at 16/2 and held firm, showcasing his fluency and temperament. “His fluency was on showcase as he scored 66 in 112 balls, with 10 fours. His runs came at a strike rate of 58.92.”

However, when comparing ICC knockout batting giants, Virat Kohli still reigns supreme. The Indian maestro is the only player to surpass the 1,000-run mark in such matches, having scored 1,024 runs in 22 matches and 24 innings at an average of 51.20. His tally includes 10 fifty-plus scores (one century and nine fifties), with a best of 117 against New Zealand in the 2023 World Cup semifinal in Mumbai.

As for the ongoing WTC final, South Africa won the toss and elected to bowl first under overcast skies. Their bowlers made immediate inroads, reducing Australia to 67/4 by lunch. However, fifties from Smith (66) and Beau Webster (55)* provided some middle-order resistance, helping Australia reach 190/6 by tea. Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen were the standout bowlers, claiming two wickets apiece.

(With ANI inputs)

This article first appeared on Mid Day