Daily Times

Steven Smith sent an emphatic reminder of his T20 worth, smashing a masterful 121 not out to hit the Sydney Sixers to a 14-run win over Perth Scorchers.

In one of the best BBL innings, Smith launched an astonishing seven sixes in front of 31,165 fans at the SCG on Saturday afternoon in a 64-ball innings for the ages as the Sixers cantered to 220 for 3 – their highest total in the competition.

Sean Abbott then celebrated his call-up to the Australian Test squad for Sri Lanka with 4 for 43, keeping Sixers second on the ladder and with one foot in the finals. And while Scorchers provided some fireworks of their own, this was a day for Smith.

The century marked his third in the BBL, drawing him level with Ben McDermott for the most in the tournament’s history. Smith has played 32 matches for his three tons, compared with McDermott’s 100 games.

Globally, Smith has been something of a forgotten star in T20 cricket, compared with his status as Australia’s best Test batter since Sir Donald Bradman with a return to runs this summer.

The 35-year-old has not played a T20I for Australia since last February, and was overlooked for the World Cup squad last year. He has also been brushed in the past four IPL auctions, featuring only in the Major League Cricket last year of all overseas franchise leagues.

But in the BBL Smith continues to prove his worth, with this his third century in his past seven games. And it may have been his best yet. Smith’s last 95 runs came off 40 balls, after Sixers were particularly patient early and 24 for 1 after five overs.

Smith regularly targeted the short boundary at the SCG, while also cutting behind point with glee when Scorchers went too wide outside off to try to counteract him. Two of his sixes came off switch-hits to the short rope, and another was a crisp flick off his pads from Jhye Richardson that sailed into the Bill O’Reilly Stand. Still, Smith’s shot of the day went to the long boundary, picking up a full and wide ball from AJ Tye and hitting it inside out over backward point for six.

Richardson also went for 0 for 51 from his four overs, as Smith and Moises Henriques took him for 24 from the first over of the power surge during a 113-run partnership. This was a day when everything Smith touch turned to gold, including being caught in the deep in the last over before replays fielder Nick Hobson had put a foot on the rope.

In reply, Scorchers faced an uphill battle from the moment Abbott took back-to-back wickets in the fourth over. Ashton Turner hit 66 from 32 balls to give the Scorchers a late hope, but 23 from the final over proved too much as they stayed fifth on the ladder.