As he stood at second slip watching Ollie Robinson finesse a sublime seven-wicket haul with the splendour of Worcester Cathedral as a backdrop, Steve Smith could have been forgiven for invoking the spirit of WG Grace and muttering “they came to see me bat not you bowl”.
As it was, the Australian appeared to be very much enjoying his first day of this pre-Ashes tune-up with Sussex. Smith did not bat – his side reached 63 for one in reply to Worcestershire’s 264 all out when bad light brought an early close – but this was still a hugely informative outing.
