There is a Light that Never Goes Out

PL attends Smith's concert at the SCG

At 5.50 pm, with the sun still high and Sydney’s sky a vibrant blue, a cheer went around the SCG as the home side moved to 7-500. All talk of flawed modern batsmen, difficult pitches and warp speed matches seemed a silly and distant concern. A good day of cricket makes everything feel right with the world, especially when it is your side in the ascendancy; Steve Smith and Travis Head had brought up centuries, the Ashes were in the bag, and the fifth Test looks set to fill each of the days allocated to it.

This was a reassuring sight for fans at the fag end of what has been a challenging Ashes.

Set 384 by England, who’d won the toss, Australia finished the third day on 7-518, a lead of 134 with Smith undefeated on 129 and Beau Webster 42no.

Smith gave a curious celebration on smacking Matthew Potts straight down the ground to bring up his half-century. Some odd hand gesture thing toward his teammates. You’d think that a man with 45 50s and 36 three-figure scores would take such an achievement in his stride, but the acting captain has not had the Ashes his early summer form promised. Three times he’s finished with red ink in the second innings (2no, 23no and 24no), but a 61 in Brisbane was his only significant score of the series.

Smith missed the best of batting conditions when he had to withdraw in Adelaide; he was never going to miss on a good track in Sydney.

As the innings progressed, Smith (3683 and counting) slipped past Jack Hobbs (3636) and in behind Bradman (5028) as the second-highest run scorer in Ashes cricket. Joe Root, his only contemporary in the top 20, has 2822 at an average of 41.5 where the Australian is ticking along at 57.5.

At Cana the chief steward, on tasting Jesus’ water turned to wine, congratulated the groom on inverting tradition and serving the best plonk at the back end of the event. Smith has left his best until last, and it could be argued that, Adelaide aside, the series has left its best approximation of Ashes cricket as we knew it until last.