Chris Smith is pictured above during his final Test match against India
at Headingley, Leeds in June 1986.
| |
Date |
Test |
Venue |
Opp. |
1st |
2nd |
Ct |
Result |
| |
11/08/83 |
3 |
Lord's |
NZ |
0 |
43 |
0 |
won by 127 runs |
| |
25/08/83 |
4 |
Nottingham |
NZ |
31 |
4 |
2 |
won by 165 runs |
| |
20/01/84 |
1 |
Wellington |
NZ |
27 |
30* |
0 |
Match Drawn |
| |
10/02/84 |
3 |
Auckland |
NZ |
91 |
dnb |
0 |
Match Drawn |
| |
02/03/84 |
1 |
Karachi |
Pak |
28 |
5 |
1 |
lost by 3 wickets |
| |
12/03/84 |
2 |
Faisalabad |
Pak |
66 |
dnb |
0 |
Match Drawn |
| |
19/03/84 |
3 |
Lahore |
Pak |
18 |
15 |
2 |
Match Drawn |
| |
19/06/86 |
2 |
Leeds |
Ind |
6 |
28 |
0 |
lost by 279 runs |
Summary of all matches
| M |
Runs |
HS |
Ave |
100s |
50s |
W |
BB |
Ave |
5w |
Ct |
| 8 |
392 |
91 |
30.15 |
0 |
2 |
3 |
2-31 |
13.00 |
0 |
5 |
.
.
|
There was a tear in Chris Smith's eye as he walked off the field at
Lord's in his debut Test against New Zealand in 1983. Richard Hadlee had
him lbw for 0 in his first over. No one could say young Smith did not
care. Chris 'Kippy' Smith, South African born but of English stock, came
to Swansea in the late 1970s to seek a way into county cricket through
the South Wales league. He made his debut for Glamorgan against Sri
Lanka in 1979, but when the Welsh county asked Lord's if he could be
registered as English qualified they were told it was impossible and
Smith would be an overseas player forever more.
The opener left Wales
and joined Hampshire as an overseas pro, within a year the UK cricket
authorities decided he could be English after all. By 1983 he was
bidding for a Test place. He opened with Chris Tavare in that Lord's
Test and redeemed himself in the second innings with a score of 43. At
Trent Bridge he made 31 and 4. He toured New Zealand and Pakistan under
Bob Willis in 1983-84, scoring 27 and 30 in Wellington, then 91 in the
final Test in New Zealand. Against Pakistan he made 28 and 5 in Karachi,
66 in Faisalabad and 18 and 15 in Lahore. The other opening batsmen
were in such poor form Mike Gatting was promoted be his partner. In 1984
he was replaced by Andy Lloyd and Chris Broad but returned for the
Headingley Test of 1986 as a number three batsman, scoring 6 and 28. In
1991 he emigrated to Australia, becoming a senior adminstrator in Perth. (Bob Harragan)
|