Smith proves the star attraction to delight Derby

For three quarters of an hour on Friday afternoon, an otherwise benign tour game in the sleepy East Midlands centre of Derby became the fulcrum of the ongoing Ashes battle.

Australia's three-day fixture against division two county battlers Derbyshire had been progressing at a rate marginally slower than the pitch upon which it was being played.

But that all changed at 1.48pm when Australia's stand-in skipper Usman Khawaja surprisingly played around a full delivery and was bowled, to be replaced by former skipper Steve Smith.

It had taken four and a bit sessions, but the folks who had flocked from nearby and even from neighbouring counties to pay witness to Smith's return to cricket after a 13-day lay-off due to the effects of delayed concussion were rewarded.

The queue of cars that clogged the County Ground's entrance gates before play began had evolved, by that time, into a throng of families who filled banks of seats at the low-rise venue and partook of their own social games on the expansive lawns.

As Australia pressed on from their overnight position of 0-77, and Smith remained ensconced in the dressing room into the afternoon session, few seemed too pre-occupied with the match situation.

"I don't know anything about cricket," one young woman told a friend who was clearly surprised to bump into her on the eastern terrace.

"But my boys kept saying this morning 'Steve Smith's gonna be batting, Steve Smith's gonna be batting' and then they started mimicking all these weird shots that he apparently plays … so here I am."

Image Id: 97BB8AA5B9E54ADCB0C12AEA934596D9 Image Caption: Steve Smith wore the neck protector against Derby // Getty

The anticipation built to the moment that Khawaja was dismissed and, as Smith appeared atop the dozen steps leading from the visiting team's rooms the ground's stewards swung into action, placing metal barricades in place to grant the new batter safe passage through the milling crowd.

"Here he is," shouted a teenage lad to his mates, as they all raised their phones to the sky in unison.

"Come on Smitho" bellowed a hefty gentleman, who appeared to have skipped the eating element of Friday lunch.

So immediately unfussed did Smith seem when he got to the middle it was easy to forget he had not played any competitive cricket since that day mid-month when he was struck on the neck at Lord's.

Image Id: https://www.cricket.com.au/~/media/News/2019/08/30Smith-walk?la=en&hash=18232A7E0601790AD2EF42EEB52035FDB2DDCBD6 Image Caption: Smith was the star attraction for the Derby crowd // Getty

He whipped the second delivery he faced, from Afghanistan-born off-spinner Hamidullah Qadri flawlessly along the ground to mid-on for a single.

The medium pace of Anul Dal – who resembles Australia quick Jhye Richardson in most respects bar quickness – presented no greater threat, and Smith had soon moved to four, all scored from singles.

But then the focus suddenly switched from Smith's place in Australia's Test plans to unfolding drama with England's.

When Smith was ruled out of the final day at Lord's and the subsequent Test at Headingley, it was deemed by some to be an act of equivalence given England had similarly lost their all-time leading Test wicket-taker, James Anderson, to injury.

With Anderson having returned to bowling earlier in the week, Smith's imminent re-inclusion for Australia was therefore seen by England fans to be balanced out.

However, as some of those same fans lined up to have their photo taken with the ICC World Cup – a special guest at the Derby game – word filtered through that Anderson had aggravated his calf strain in his comeback attempt, and was ruled out of the entire series.

Suddenly, the sight of Smith batting with such nonchalance that he did not even need to call on his most theatrical idiosyncrasies (so lukewarm was the battle he found himself in) seemed more daunting than dazzling.

In the space of a few minutes, England were found to be down a key man for the remainder of the campaign while Australia confirmed theirs was ripe to return.

As if to recognise that mood shift, Smith engineered fallibility within his own game as he went after the Derbyshire slow bowlers, apparently in hope his overt aggression might force rival skipper Billy Godleman to bring back his seamers.

Image Id: https://www.cricket.com.au/~/media/News/2019/08/30Smith-attack?la=en&hash=BF3C709E360229CB388ECAC07FCBD56FC1AC4462 Image Caption: Smith goes on the attack // Getty

When that ploy didn't work, and flighty spinner Matthew Critchley was finding trouble landing his leg breaks, Smith went the slog and was caught at deep cover having crafted 23 from 38 balls, with a couple of boundaries.

Then, without changing his outfit or even removing his pads, he emerged once more down the dressing room steps to the surprise of the crowd that had so expectantly awaited his first appearance, and headed at pace to the practice nets.

With David Warner offering to hurl balls at his former skipper, and Bupa Support Team member Sridharan Sriram filling the role usually held by batting coach Graeme Hick – who has given his over-worked throwing arm a few days break – Smith kept batting for almost another hour.

Image Id: FA71EC9416B9499AB2945B9A6FC66375 Image Caption: David Warner and Steve Smith head to the Derby nets // Getty

The message was clear.

His first innings back from concussion wasn't simply to prove he was fit to take his place in next week's fourth Test, it was to maximise the training time between now and when that game starts on Wednesday.

And the unthreatening offerings from the unheralded Derbyshire attack was not the sort of practice he sought.

So he opted instead for the workout that he knows his game needs – not out of discourtesy to the tour-game hosts, but out of professional respect to his team.

"I think if Smudger (Smith) got 20, or 220 he'd still want to go to the nets and have a hit," said Mitchell Marsh, who was Smith's batting partner during their 58-run stand in which the pair kept conversation to a minimum.

"That's just him, that's what he does, and that's why he's the best in the world."

It was on the cusp of tea that Smith decided he'd done enough, and as the on-field players headed off for their 20-minute break, Smith – still in his whites, but having removed his pads – fell into step behind them.

Then, by way of compensation to the many who had come to the County Ground to see him bat in the match rather than in the nets, Smith spent the adjournment signing books and bats and shirts, and posing for more photographs than he had made runs.

Meanwhile, in the Derbyshire County Cricket Club Shop, Sue Ecroyd was busily sorting sheaves of tickets for day three of the tour game into neatly stacked piles, ready for sale on Saturday morning.

"We're expecting another big crowd, if the weather holds," she said, peering out of the demountable office's small window at the gathering afternoon clouds.

"And who knows ... maybe he'll bat again in a second innings."

2019 Qantas Ashes Tour of England

Australia squad: Tim Paine (c), Cameron Bancroft, Pat Cummins, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Peter Siddle, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner.

England squad: Joe Root (c), Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Jack Leach, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes (vc), Chris Woakes.

First Test: Australia beat England by 251 runs at Edgbaston

Second Test: Match drawn at Lord's

Third Test: England defeat Australia by one wicket at Headingley

Tour match: Australians v Derbyshire, August 29-31

Fourth Test: September 4-8, Old Trafford

Fifth Test: September 12-16, The Oval