“History Maker”: Will Smeed cricketer registers highest score in The Hundred after scoring first-ever century

Will Smeed cricketer: The rookie Birmingham Phoenix batter has become the first player to score a century in The Hundred.

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.

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