England’s young keeper Jamie Smith has been compared with legendary Australian keeper-batter Adam Gilchrist by David Lloyd. This came after Smith’s performance with the bat and the keeping gloves in England’s 3-0 whitewash against West Indies at home.
Following the visitors’ 282 in the first innings, Smith hammered the West Indian attack for 12 fours and a six (which went out of the ground) in a thrilling knock of 95 runs in only his third Test.
Despite being bowled five runs short of a century against a low delivery, the 24-year-old’s aggression and power behind his leg-side strokes became the buzz of English cricket.
Lloyd was captivated by Smith’s outstanding performance in the recently completed three-match Test series against the West Indies at home. The youthful wicketkeeper-batsman finished the home Test series with 207 runs in four innings.
“I’ve heard a lot about Jamie Smith from some very knowledgeable people, but this weekend was the first time seeing him in the flesh. Wow, and double wow. I haven’t been on the edge of my seat like that since the days of Kevin Pietersen. Smith is going to be around a very long time. He’s going to take games away from the opposition. Shades of Adam Gilchrist,” Lloyd wrote in Daily Mail.
England has been receptive to developing young, aggressive Test wicketkeepers who can hit the ball long and hard. They had the experienced Jonny Bairstow in a similar role, but his poor form caused him to be dropped, and Surrey-born Jamie Smith was brought in.
Mark Wood ready for the Ashes: David Lloyd
David Lloyd also weighed in on pacer Mark Wood’s pace and consistency after he picked up nine wickets in two Tests, including a five-wicket haul at Edgbaston. The highly-anticipated Ashes is expected to begin in December 2025.
“Mark Wood is approaching the age of 35, but he’s still banging his deliveries out at 90-plus miles per hour. Pace is a potent force. Is he on course for the Ashes? Well, he looks like he is to me. That’s back-to-back Tests with no let-up in his speed, and so he’s not doing his case any harm. Fast bowlers clean up tails as he did perfectly yesterday. You just can’t beat the menace of a genuinely fast because it disturbs the minds of opponents,” Lloyd wrote.
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