Australia's Steve Smith has cemented his place among the cricketing immortals, moving into second on the all-time list of Ashes run-scorers with a masterful, unbeaten century at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
A Historic Ashes Milestone Achieved
On the third day of the fifth and final Test, the former Australian captain reached a significant personal landmark. His 129 not out saw him surpass the legendary English batsman Sir Jack Hobbs's total of 3,636 runs in the storied contest between the two nations. This leaves only the incomparable Sir Donald Bradman, with 5,028 runs, ahead of Smith in the pantheon of Ashes run-makers.
The achievement is a testament to Smith's remarkable longevity and productivity in the sport's most famous rivalry. He drew level with Hobbs's record of 12 Ashes centuries before moving clear with this, his 13th. Intriguingly, both men reached their tallies in 41 Test matches, though Smith has had the benefit of two more innings.
A Twitchy Start Gives Way to Dominance
The innings was not without its characteristic Smith quirks. Early on, the great batter was uncharacteristically restless, playing and missing at deliveries and attempting unorthodox shots that betrayed a sense of frustration. At one stage, he rubber-armed a part-time delivery from England's Jacob Bethell over mid-off in a moment of improvisation.
However, as has so often been the case, he gradually settled into a rhythm of serene accumulation. The trademark cover drives, fuelled by every sinew, began to flow. He built partnerships with each incoming batter, though his time at the crease was punctuated by minor dramas—a rolled ankle while running and several slips while turning for additional runs.
Upon reaching three figures by working Bethell for three runs, Smith celebrated with more visible emotion than usual. He later entertained the crowd by attempting a forehand smash reminiscent of a shot he played in 2014 and humorously signalling wides when England's Matthew Potts bowled a delivery metres over his head.
Contextualising a Majestic Career
This century served as a potent reminder of Smith's golden era, which stretched from the end of the 2013 Ashes in England to the 2019 series. In that period, he amassed 11 Ashes hundreds in just 32 innings, a strike rate that even eclipsed Bradman's for a time. Since the final Test of 2019, however, this was only his second Ashes century in 27 innings, highlighting the extraordinary standard of his peak.
This series has been a peculiar one for Smith. He was dismissed for low scores three times while not out, due to small run chases and a batting collapse, and missed the Adelaide Test entirely through absence. This left him with only four proper first-innings opportunities, in which he scored 62 in Brisbane and this commanding ton in Sydney.
The match also underscored a shift in Australia's batting hierarchy. While Smith's legacy is secure, the team's current most pivotal batter is Travis Head. Head's blistering 163 at the SCG laid the platform for Smith's milestone, and his three centuries this series mark him as both the most aggressive and consistent performer in the Australian lineup.
Both Smith and Head will be central figures in Australia's packed Test schedule ahead, which includes tours to South Africa, India, and England, plus a 150th-anniversary Test against England in Melbourne next year. For Smith, each run will now be a step closer to the ultimate, if likely unattainable, summit: the Don's record. For now, he stands alone on the second-highest peak of the Ashes mountain.
