Sunday Dec 14, 2025
Sunday Dec 14, 2025
Thursday, 4 December 2025 01:57 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
By Sa’adi Thawfeeq
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| Robin Smith |
The Singhalese Sports Club (SSC) was the venue where Robin Smith, who died suddenly aged 62, made his first Test century overseas against the likes of spinners Muttiah Muralitharan and Jayananda Warnaweera when England played a one-off Test against Sri Lanka in 1993.
Smith, the former South African-born England cricketer, was famous for being one of the world’s best batsmen in an era of fearsome fast bowling. England fans knew him mainly as a brutal slayer of fast bowlers, and three of his nine Test hundreds against the mighty West Indies was testimony to that fact. But he was also a better player of spin that some imagined, averaging 63 against India, 44 against Pakistan, and scoring 128 against Sri Lanka, opening the batting against Murali and Warnay on a SSC turner.
There were murmurs regarding the impartiality of Sri Lankan umpiring and the bowling action of Warnaweera and Muralitharan, but overall England had nothing and no one to blame but themselves for their five-wicket defeat.
England were given a substantial platform by Smith who scored his first century as a Test opener. In partnerships of 112 with Graeme Hick (68) and 122 with Alec Stewart (63), Smith played the anchor role to perfection batting for seven and a half hours and facing 338 balls (20 fours) – a tribute to his stamina as well as his skill. But after he was dismissed at 316-4 bowled by Muralitharan, the England innings simply folded – the last seven wickets falling for 64 runs.
With five of Sri Lanka’s top six batsmen making half-centuries, the home side gained a first innings lead of 89. England once again self-destructed to find themselves 96-5 against some penetrative off-spin bowling by Warnaweera, who took his match tally to eight wickets. Smith (35 bowled Sanath Jayasuriya), Mike Gatting, and Hick all got out when well set to careless strokes. England’s second innings score of 228 left Sri Lanka with 140 to chase. Although there was initial hiccup with Sri Lanka losing their first four wickets for 61, England found Hashan Tillakaratne’s broad bat an obstacle hard to dislodge. The left-hander followed his first innings 93* with 36* to steer his team to their first Test win against England.
Affectionately known as “the Judge” because of his curly hair that resembled a wig, Smith played 62 Tests for England between 1988 and 1996, scoring 4,236 runs at 43.7 with nine centuries, and was described as Hampshire cricket’s “greatest hero.”
The circumstances around Smith’s death remained unclear. He died unexpectedly at his South Perth apartment on Monday.
