Will Smeed cricketer: The rookie Birmingham Phoenix batter has become the first player to score a century in The Hundred.
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The Hundred has received its first centurion in the form of rookie Birmingham Phoenix batter Will Smeed. It was during the eighth match of the second season of The Hundred between Birmingham Phoenix and Southern Brave at Edgbaston that Smeed managed to reach the three-figure mark to etch his name in history.
Opening the batting with Chris Benjamin (17), Smeed hit the first ball of the match off George Garton for a boundary to get going. It was right after captain Moeen Ali’s (16) dismissal’s on the 36th delivery that Smeed took the onus upon himself to hit pacer James Fuller for consecutive boundaries.
Attacking Garton again, Smeed hit him for a couple of sixes right before the halfway mark. It was on the 59th ball of the innings that Smeed hit spinner Jake Lintott for a six to complete a 25-ball half-century in Birmingham today.
With batter Liam Livingstone (21) batting at a strike rate of 105, Smeed hit sixes off Fuller and Lintott before hitting Tymal Mills for a four and a six towards the end of the innings. It was on the penultimate delivery of the innings that Smeed ran a couple of runs off Brave pacer Chris Jordan to complete a 49-ball ton.
Smeed, 20, scoring 101* (50) with the help of eight fours and six sixes at a strike rate of 202 came in a one-man show propelling Phoenix to 176/4 in their 100-ball quota.
Smeed, who had made a name for himself whilst representing Quetta Gladiators in Pakistan Super League 2022, is yet to play first-class cricket. Smeed’s maiden T20 century has come in his 48th innings in the format. The right-handed batter has surpassed teammate Livingstone to register the highest individual score in The Hundred.
Twitter reactions on Will Smeed cricketer:
HISTORY MAKER!!! 🤯
Will Smeed take a bow 👏 pic.twitter.com/w1vztnUnOQ
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) August 10, 2022
FIRST 💯 IN #TheHundred!!!
Well played, @will_smeed 💥 pic.twitter.com/f7lnTzOYx1
— The Hundred (@thehundred) August 10, 2022
Errrr that Will Smeed is some player. Only 20. What a knock that is. #TheHundred
— Daniel Cutts (@Journo_Slash) August 10, 2022
He’s our star ⭐️⭐️⭐️#WeAreSomerset @will_smeed pic.twitter.com/SmUY5STwlm
— Somerset Cricket 🏏 (@SomersetCCC) August 10, 2022
Will Smeed scoring the Hundred’s first hundred is fitting, and very cool pic.twitter.com/8wG8RZkauj
— Will Macpherson (@willis_macp) August 10, 2022
Gladiator @will_smeed becomes first-ever batsman to scored a Hundred in @thehundred
We cannot be more prouder on his continuous success in white ball cricket.
You are an absolute star Smeedy ⭐️ 🌟
1️⃣0️⃣1️⃣ off 5️⃣0️⃣ balls
6️⃣ sixes & 8️⃣ fours 🔥 🔥 #WeTheGladiators #PurpleForce pic.twitter.com/Upo3vjNSKr— Quetta Gladiators (@TeamQuetta) August 10, 2022
It’s fitting that Will Smeed is the first centurion in @thehundred – he was the first child of the tournament; propelled to stardom by the platform it provided him. History maker. Well played, kid. #TheNeedForSmeed #TheHundred
— Freddie Wilde (@fwildecricket) August 10, 2022
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