Steve Smith surpasses Warner for most tons in BBL history
Sydney, January 16
Australia's Steve Smith made history on Friday, becoming the batter with the most centuries in the Big Bash League tournament.
Smith achieved this milestone during his side Sydney Sixers' derby match against the Sydney Thunder. He brought up his fourth BBL ton, outdoing David Warner and Ben McDermott and had laced his knock with five fours and nine sixes, getting his runs at a strike rate of 238.09.
During the run-chase, he smacked Ryan Hadley for 32 runs in an over, including four successive sixes and a four, the most expensive in BBL history.
Smith has scored 1,318 runs in 36 matches and 35 innings for the Sixers at an average of 48.81 and a strike rate of almost 151, four centuries and eight fifties. He has been representing the Sixers since 2011.
Five days back, Smith had returned to BBL, scoring 19* in a no result against Hobart Hurricanes.
Coming to the match, the Sydney Sixers elected to field first. Thunder skipper David Warner (110* in 65 balls, with 11 fours and four sixes) continued to light up the competition, joining the '10 centuries club in T20s', featuring Pakistan's Babar Azam (11) and West Indies icon Chris Gayle (22). He also became the fourth T20 player to reach 14,000 run landmark, making a large chunk of his side's 189/6 in 20 overs.
During the chase, a 141-run opening stand between Smith and Babar Azam (47 in 39 balls, with seven fours) killed the game in 12 overs, with Lachlan Shaw (13*) and Jack Edwards (17*) taking Sixers to five wicket win in 17.2 overs.
Sydney Sixers are at fourth spot with five wins, three losses and a no result and have 11 points.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Smith's consistency is just unreal. An average of nearly 49 and a SR of 151 in T20s over so many years? That's proper class. Warner's knock was also brilliant, but Smith just took it to another level. Great to see Babar Azam getting a mention too in the '10 centuries club' 👏
Amazing batting, no doubt. But honestly, the BBL feels a bit less exciting when the Indian players aren't there. Imagine the fireworks if someone like SKY or Virat was playing in this league! The standard is high, but the IPL is just on another planet in terms of competition and star power.
That strike rate of 238 is just savage. Hitting four sixes in a row in a professional T20 league takes some serious skill and nerve. Smith proving he's not just a Test specialist. Warner's 14,000 T20 runs is also a massive achievement. Two legends lighting up the Sydney derby!
Smith is a genius, but let's not forget Babar Azam's contribution in that opening stand. 47 off 39 is a solid supporting knock that allowed Smith to go berserk. Sometimes the anchor role doesn't get enough credit. Great team effort by the Sixers!
Respect for the achievement, but the article feels a bit one-sided celebrating Smith. Warner scored a brilliant century too for the losing side and crossed 14,000 T20 runs! That's a huge lifetime milestone that deserves its own headline. Both played incredibly well.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.