4:10pm Thursday 4th March 2010
By Michael Reeves
WORCESTERSHIRE’S Friends Provident t20 overseas signing Steve Smith is continuing to make waves Down Under after smashing a first-class career best for New South Wales.
The Australian international hit 177 for the Blues in their Sheffield Shield match against Tasmania off 247 balls which included 20 fours and five sixes.
New South Wales declared on 468-6 with opening batsman Phil Jaques, who rejoins the New Road club next month, scoring 88 at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart.
But it was 20-year-old Smith, who made his one-day international debut for the Baggy Greens last month against West Indies, who stole the show.
The all-rounder said: “If there is a chance to go hard it always helps to have practiced it by doing it in other forms of the game,” Smith said. “I got a chance to swing pretty hard here and it came off.”
Smith is blossoming having burst on to the international scene in Twenty20s before stepping up to the one-day side.
The leg-spinner has also been in the Australian Test squad over the winter and is closing in on making the breakthrough there as well.
“I’m just going out there and doing my best day in and day out and if the opportunity comes up I’ll grab it with both hands,” he added.
His right-arm leg-spin on a batsmen’s track was less effective, returning 0-47 off 13 overs as Tasmania closed on 173-6.
© Copyright 2001-2012 Newsquest Media Group
http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/trade_directory/