On Tuesday in Sydney, during the third day of the fifth Ashes Test, Steven Smith batted Australia into control and deeper into history, producing a record-laden century that tightened his grip on England and further cemented his place in the rivalry’s upper tier.
By stumps, Australia were 518 for seven, leading by 134, but the scoreline only partially reflected Smith’s significance. His unbeaten 129 was his 13th Ashes century, lifting him to second on the all-time list, behind only Sir Donald Bradman. In a contest defined by longevity and legacy, Smith now stands clear of every other batter to have played the series.
This was Smith’s 41st Ashes Test. Across them, he has scored 3,682 runs at an average of 57.53, numbers bettered only by Bradman, whose 5,028 runs at 89.78 remain cricket’s statistical outlier. Smith has reached those figures in 73 innings, with nine not-outs, an indication not just of output but of durability across formats, eras and conditions.
The innings itself was classic Smith, though rarely serene. On a surface beginning to crack and spit, he was watchful early, capitalising on England’s errors rather than forcing the tempo. He was dropped on 12 by Zak Crawley at leg-slip, a moment that shifted the day. From there, Smith tightened his hold, working the ball into gaps, wearing down England’s seamers and targeting spin with calculated aggression.
His century arrived late in the day, greeted by a standing ovation from a Sydney crowd attuned to the weight of the moment. Smith kissed his helmet briefly, then resumed his work. It was his first home Ashes hundred since 2017–18, a gap that had felt anomalous given his broader record against England.
Smith’s highest score of 239 remains one of the defining innings of the modern rivalry, and among players with more than 3,000 Ashes runs, only Bradman and Herbert Sutcliffe can rival his average. He has now overtaken Jack Hobbs, Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting on the Ashes centuries list, leaving only one name ahead of him.
England, weary and error-prone, were left chasing shadows. Their bowlers strayed in line and length, their fielding betrayed them at key moments, and Smith made them pay with the inevitability that has come to define his Ashes career.
With three wickets still in hand and conditions expected to deteriorate further, Australia’s advantage looks substantial. Yet the broader story of the day sat less in the lead than in the ledger. Smith, once again, moved closer to Bradman’s shadow, reminding everyone that while the benchmark may remain untouched, the chase is very much alive.
