Test Match Special - How To Win The Ashes: Steve Smith on the 2019 Series

Episode Date: June 10, 2023

Steve Smith discusses his comeback story. In 2018 his career came crashing down as he resigned as Australia’s Test Captain, and then subsequently banned from the sport after his part in the ball-tampering scandal during a tour of South Africa. After serving the suspension, he returned for the 2019 Ashes Series – where he was ready to make up for lost time.

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BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts. Hello, welcome to this Test Match special podcast series, How to Win the Ashes. Some of cricket's greatest players are telling us what it takes to be victorious in the sport's biggest battle of them all. In 2018, Steve Smith's career came crashing down. He resigned as Australia test captain for his part in the ball tampering scandal

during a tour of South Africa. He was banned along with teammates Cameron Bancroft and David Warner while the head coach Darren Lehman stood down. With his band served, Smith returned to the test side for the 2019 series and he was ready to make up for lost time. From Five Live Sports, this is the for an Australian or an English cricketer it's the ultimate isn't it there's there's that that rivalry and we're yeah coming up against England it's always a good challenge and they're the series that you really look forward to and the one you want to do really well in personally to help your team have success so yeah it means a lot to everyone in Australia

around in England and it's a great series to be a part of. Australian cricket is coming to terms with what's been a difficult 24 hours. The Captain Steve Smith and Vice Captain David Warner have stood down from their posts for the rest of the third test against South Africa after a ball tampering incident in which Bowler Cameron Bancroft altered the condition of the ball using some tape concealed in his pocket. To all of my teammates, to fans of cricket all over the world, and to all Australians who were disappointed and angry. I'm sorry.

It was a failure of leadership. Of my leadership. I'll do everything I can to make up for my mistake and the damage it's caused. If any good can come of this, If it can be a lesson to others, then I hope I can be a force for change. This is Five Live Sport with Eleanor Aldroyd.

Head coach Darren Lehman has announced that he's going to stand down after the Johannesburg test. Former Captain Steve Smith broke down several times when addressing the media, having landed back in Sydney. Well, it is a fall from grace, and it's a very sorry state of affairs. I think the main thing for me is the fact that they've lost the support of their own people. You know, their own country, Australians are fiercely vocal and fiercely supportive of their own sporting teams. But they've turned on them. And I think the Australian cricket team became so detached and so pious about their so-called good behavior that everyone felt it was a bit.

You know, it did leave a bad taste in everyone's mouth. And I think it's genuinely shocked Australia, how, you know, were the prime minister turned out in the public backlash against them. And I'm not surprised to see Steve Smith in such a devastating state of mind. This is just in this morning the former Australia captain Steve Smith says he won't appeal against his 12-month cricket Australia ban for his role in ball tampering against South Africa. Smith has written on social media, I meant what I said about taking full responsibility as captain. I won't be challenging the sanctions.

They've been imposed to send a strong message and I accept them. The tension now turns to their ashes. with the first test just six days away. And Australia's head of selectors, Trevor Hons, as he's spoken to David Warner, Steve Smith, and the re called Cameron Bancroft about the reception they could get from Edgbaston on Thursday. All three could play their first test match

since serving bands for their involvement in the ball tampering scandal last year. No, it wasn't too hard. You know, it obviously played a lot of cricket beforehand, had the year off and freshened up, I suppose, physically and mentally, and felt like I was in a pretty good place. So, yeah, to come back and perform the way I did in that first test, I think, just gave me a load of confidence to know that I, you know, I hadn't lost it. You know, I still belonged and I could go out and perform. And, yeah, it was a pretty phenomenal way, I suppose, to come back into the game.

Welcome to Edge Baston and a resumption in hostilities in cricket's longest running, a most keenly contested battle. It's the Ashes, of course, and the chance for one of these two teams to write themselves into cricketing folklore. How to win the Ashes? It's a good question. Particularly when you're playing away from home, it's a difficult task. So, I don't know, it's about playing good sessions at cricket consistently. And we're ready to go. The start of the 2019 Ashes.

Here we are with Anderson. One bad session can turn a game. So when you have a bad session, try and make it not too bad. go from there. Coming in and bowling to Bancroft, who allows that to go through outside Dostom, a little bit of movement away and as collected by Bearstoke. I think playing together as a team

and having really good plans are important and then going out and implementing them in the middle. Brawn, round the wicket, on his way, bowls to David Warner, who's hit on the pad, he'll go out, Warner's out. And Broad gets his man, he could have had him first ball,

but he's got into his 14th, Warner's out for two and well there's the Hollis stand for you and not just the Hollis stand as David Warner rips off his glove. I can see bits of sandpaper being waved as David Warner a forlorn figure trudges off the ground in the sunshine. He's got his helmet off. What an exit. LBW Broad for two. I mean it was exciting. You know, I was back playing test cricket and playing for my country and yeah, we were under a bit of pressure.

We lost two early ones. Broad edges and it's taken at first slip. Joe Root hangs on. Broad has two and Cameron Bancroft is on his way for just eight. I was just came to get to the middle and get batting and hopefully trying to have a good impact for the team. England's celebrating because they've got Australia. because they've got Australia, 17 for two, on this first morning.

Yeah, walking out, I really just blocked out all the noise. There was a bit there going on from what I remember, but yeah, it's pretty much white noise to me. I can't hear it and, you know, just go out there and go about my business. Again, the little squirts of yellow sandpaper being waved in the holly stand. and as one of the Cape Town Trio departs, it's the former captain Steve Smith near the crowd that spotted

the return of the former Australian captain. That would be an examination of his mentality. He'll start for England broad into Steve Smith again, full, and he defends and then an elaborate style leave whips his bat away as if he's some sort of samurai, turns his back on broad. So the quirkiness of Steve Smith, we have missed it. The more I'm doing those idiosyncrasies is the more I'm switched on and focused.

I think when I'm really in the zone, I'm over the top probably with them. But, you know, it's a tough place to get into the zone. And when you get there, it's a nice place to be. But, yeah, I think when I'm in that zone and I'm feeling comfortable, I'm probably moving around a lot more and fidgeting a lot more and everything's a bit over the top. Smith waits, jumps about, broad bowls. It's pitched up, it's driven, and it's driven edgily,

but pretty handily down towards backward, point for four runs. Here comes, Wokes, to Smith, who plays away from his body, pushes down to a third man for a single. And a huge booze ring out around the ground for Steve Smith's 50. Sandpaper is being waved. The crowd, I don't think they're going to stop with this all match. What they did, everybody knows was wrong.

They know themselves now. They've been punished for it. Whether they were punished enough, you know, it's gone. Get on with the cricket. He goes, Wokes, pitching up, and whipped away by Smith. That's going out to the boundary at Square for four. He drives through the covers, and there you go. Steve Smith, in his return test match, after a year's ban from the game,

has scored his 24th and I'm sure for him his most important test century. His helmet's raised, he raised the bat and then aims to throw it almost into the Australian pressing room. And around edgebaston people are applauding. They're on their feet, not just Australians. Yes, there's an occasional boom. But you have to, whatever you think, admire a man who was... Absolutely bared his soul. He was in a horrible, horrible, horrible place

in the full glare of publicity. I think when I scored that first 100 on that first day at Edgebaston, I was kind of lost for emotions for a minute. Like I lost my breath, and I just didn't know if that feeling was going to happen again to score 100 for my country and to be able to do it first up just gave me a lot of confidence and I was really proud of what I was able to do that day. Broad Bowls and he swings his bowl.

He's racing off the field and he'll get off the field before those that want to give him a hoot that can do so. You can hear some booing, which is really unfair. This has been one of the finest test innings you've ever seen and he should get the applause from everyone in the ground. And here's the first ball of England's reply to that. running in very strongly from the far end and Burns moves nicely into line

and plays up to mid on I don't like that when the crowd starts cheering just defensive shots well you know he's under pressure when that happens line around the wicket to Burns who cuts brilliantly clearly its cover for four a wonderful shot he just lent back

gave himself some room and timed it superbly so here we go will it be this ball he's on 99 line comes up to Burns Burns forward and he gets the run Down towards Bidon. A big up and a throw. The throw's hit the stumps.

He's raised three for the single. An excellent maiden test century. Stokes is driving at a full ball. Can he get it past the mid off? He can't, but it's the 50 with Stokes because he scampers the single of 95 balls. Ryan round the wicket balls. He's hacked it into the air and going to be caught

and England are all out. But it's swipe from Anderson. Against the spin, he's gone for three. England are 3754 all out and they lead by exactly 90 therefore Now the series for me depends on this guy I just feel for Australia to really compete over here in these conditions Steve Smith at number four is going to be the key in

and Smith Drive so the covers for four to bring up his second century of the match are quite fantastic innings he is having a magnificent test match a magnificent return to test cricket big heave this time from Pattinson over the leg side and where's that bounce has it got over the ropes

it has Pattinson heaving away Moeen for a six Denley Bowles that's hit away hard into the leg side Moines scooting around there being as watch it fly over his head into the crowd umpard Da signals and with that the bats and run off Cummins tries

again and works as gliding the ball up the glove he's out He's caught at second slip. It's all over. Australia have won this game by 261 runs. And they're hugging each other down there. Steve Smith took the catch. Australia have come up with the most gratifying, memorable win.

I think it was just proud of what I was able to achieve. First test of an Ashes series is huge. And a lot of the other batters didn't get in. and I had to take it as deep as I could and put on some partnerships with the tail and I was fortunate to be able to do that and I thought got us to a competitive score that first innings. But yeah, I think it was just proud of what I'd been able to do out in the middle

and, yeah, help the team get into a position where I thought we could win the game. Now, a Rainy Lords host the second Ashes test later and Joffra Archer is set to make his test debut. The fast bowler says he actually prefers the longer format of the game and his average is better than a new. in one day is. I mean, it was a difficult spell. He was in good rhythm, bowling good pace, digging the ball in. And I think the thing with Lords is particularly bowling from the

members end. There's a lot going on. There's the people sitting behind the sight screen, which you don't get pretty much anywhere. And then the windows, I suppose, of the stand. So it was just a difficult sort of place to pick up the ball initially. And then when someone's bowling at 95 mile an hour plus, makes it even more difficult on a wicket that was a little bit up and down. Archie bowls to bank off his traps on the leg. It's gone. Alimdar raises his finger immediately. Archer sprits to the offside and now his teammates gather around him because that is his first test wicket. It was challenging and yeah it was obviously copped a few hits that day and yeah some quite painful ones but yeah it was a good spell of bowling that's for sure.

Number 22 on his way from the nursery inn, Joffra Archer. For the next few years of test match cricket, we've got a super stuff. Archer goes in now to bowl to Smith, and Smith is nearly caught a short leg. Archer goes up and balls to plane pains. Matt Pat out. He's out. And I'll tell you what, there hasn't been an England captain who's had someone like this up his sleeve for a while.

He's always hitting that. time. Smith is struck. Oh, that's all. Yeah, now he's yelping. Yeah, it's definitely in a bit of pain. He looks if he's going to continue. He bowled aggressive, skillful, fast bowling.

And for the game of Tess Cricket, there's nothing better than that. Right, here is Archer bowling to Smith. And Smith gets a short ball. He goes over the keeper's head, top edge. And it flew down to the boundary before. His Archer definitely rattled him. You know, I've really gone back and watched it or anything like that. But, yeah, being out there, I remember he's bowling, just good pace,

digging it in. And, yeah, it was a good. spell of bowling and I think everyone was finding it quite difficult playing against him at that stage. Archer bowls to Smith who struck again on the shoulder. He's on the floor, Steve Smith. He's fallen onto the floor. Helmutt has come off. Joss Butler has rushed over to him. He's rolling around at the moment. As physio comes on, Alimdar is hovering above the scene. England players have come around, Steve Smith. I think my first thoughts was, you know, kind of got hit in the back of the head Where, you know, one of our mates got hit and sadly, obviously, passed away.

And my thought was like, why am I okay? That was the first thought I'm okay. And, yeah, I don't know. I got a bit sad around that. He's getting up, Steve Smith, which is good to see. And he will have a concussion test. There will be some talks now. Just asking him a few questions.

He does look phased, though. A bit of shock probably to begin with. I didn't really feel in a great deal of pain, I suppose. I think the adrenaline was still running. He's going. Yeah. Pulling him off. He doesn't look like he wants to go, though.

Steve Smith. I think it's just frustration now. He's shrugging his shoulders as if to say, I can't believe I have to come off. I wanted to carry on batting, and I obviously had to go off and do the concussion protocols. And at that stage, I passed them, and I was able to come back out and play.

Here is Wokes going in to bowl to Siddell. Oh, that's a beauty, and he's caught behind. he's found the edge wokes with the new ball fine delivery especially for a lower order player and England get their seventh wicket

218 for 7 right who's coming in next it is Steve Smith there you are Smith's back no I wouldn't say fear I was struggling probably more with my elbow at that stage

I couldn't really grip the bat very well and yeah I was struggling with that so which I think affected some of the positions I was able to get in. So, yeah, it was just about going out there and trying to score as many runs as I could, probably as quickly as I could, because I was in a fair amount of pain. So, you know, I think my first ball I faced or second ball I launched Chris Wokes over deep midwicked and got another one

away and then, yeah, left one on about Middle Stum. There goes, Wokes, holding to Smith. That's out. That's how. And he doesn't play a shot. He's out at RBW. Playing no shot. And he has reviewed it just in case, but it looked good. No, he's not really. He's walking off. It's a strange way. It looks if he was signalled as if he'd reviewed it, but he's walking off. I think I was just grumpy that I patted up to a ball on about middle stump. Maybe the concussion kicked in then, but I'm not sure, but it was, yeah, I was upset that I couldn't score more runs out there and help the team. What's the call from the dressing room? They're going to keep going. No, it's it. He's

declared. Australia will need 267. There's Leach again. Oh, that's going to be LBW. He went back, the ball kept low, and really no need for an appeal. Mr. Dar put his finger up, certainly no need for a review. And Bancroft there was horribly trapped.

This is Leach's turn. I can get a couple of quick wickets here, look out, Australia. In goes Leach and he bowls, and that's turned into the leg side, comes off the pad, and that will be the end. of the match. I'm quite sure Mr. Dar is saying I think that's enough. Well, he's had enough.

And he's saying to Joe Root, I've had enough. I'm declaring at the end. And they're shaking hands. But for a moment there's a bit of uncertainty. A bit of a slap on the back there for everybody. And Alan Dar has his way. And that is the end of, well, an intriguing test match. And one in which you do feel,

despite the fact that it's drawn, that it's a winning draw, as far as as England are concerned. In Australia there, are fighting for their lives and fighting for their lead. Australia's star batsman Steve Smith has been ruled out of the third Ashes test which starts on Thursday. That's due to concussion. If he's not right and the medics say he's not right, then he simply should not be playing.

And that's the end of it. It's very sad for him. It's a reminder of the damage a cricket ball can do. But it's also a good thing. It's keeping people safer. As much as we are concerned, obviously, for Steve Smith's health, in respect of England, this is an advantage for them. Huge. This is a man who's been holding Australia's batting together, and it's every bit as fragile, if not possibly more so, actually, than England's is. And he saw the way they buckled and almost lost that last test match with, of course, Smith's not playing. But his substitute batted very well, Labashane, I guess he will come in and take Smith's place. But yes, I mean, with England needing to win, bear in mind they're still one down. Australia hold the ashes, so England have to win more tests than they do in order to win the ashes back. This is clearly a huge advantage.

It was hard just being involved in the series and having the impact that I had in the first two games. To not have the ability to help my teammates out there was tough. You know, I was sitting there and, you know, I couldn't really do anything. So it was difficult to watch and, yeah, didn't enjoy that experience. Root. Edge taken. That is a beauty of a catch. Pattinson is in Boston. It's a wide edge court. Court at first. Nebby chased it. And England are in tatters.

34 for 4. Hazard, he's on his way again. He bowels, Butler, drives. He's caught at cover. Leach flicks us away. He's bowled him. Oh, he tried to flick it away. He's bowled around his pads.

That's it all over. And England have been dismissed for 67. Archer bowls short, and that's the last wicket. Nathan Lyon looking to cut away. He inside edges it onto the stumps. Australia bowled out for 246. So England need 359. I think the emotions just ebbed and flow throughout that last day.

Pattinson Bowles, and he's beaten, gone right through him, LBW, plum. The ninth wicket is down. The Australians are celebrating because they're on the verge of another Ash's victory here. We look like we were on top and we're going to cruise home at one point. And then, yeah, Stokes' his innings was just incredible the way he went about it. And Stokes, if there's anyone that can just try and spark something, it's him. Tatea Wood comes in Bullstim. He's hit it away over to the midwicked again.

There are two men down there. It's six. It's six. The shots that he played were, I mean, out of this world. Lion goes to Stokes. He plays the reverse sweep. And he's slated it. A colossal shot.

He's hit it for six. Just the way he sort of went through his gears just looked like he was so switched on and focused about getting his team over the line. Stokes aside that. It's six. All right. It's six! It's six!

Two to win. He goes lion. Bowles, reverse. Sweep, to field, a field. No, no, no. He's set off. Oh! Lions dropped it.

Lions dropped it. A few things I think we could have done a little bit better and potentially bowled a few more balls at Leachie. Bowleston, he does slog it, the heel leg before wicket. It's up par Wilson.

Oh, no. He's getting it's not out. Oh, no. Hitting. Midland leg. Absolutely dead. Here's Cummings. Bowles and it's short and very well played.

Stokes going for the run. Through they come. England can't lose. Yeah, it was certainly a great, great innings to witness. And in comes Pat Cummins from the far end. Bowles to Stokes, who hammers it for four. And stands there with a bat raised. I can't believe we've seen that.

No one was talking. It was just guys were just sitting in there for, I don't know, probably the first 20 minutes, half an hour, just looking down, looking at the floor, barely looking at each other. And it was just like, what's just happened, basically? No noise. And, yeah, it's just silent.

And then, yeah, someone started talking. I can't really remember. And it was just about, right, oh, this is done. Let's keep moving forward and get ourselves up for the next game. Stuart Broad has warned Steve Smith, Joffre Archer will be waiting for him at Old Trafford in the first. Fourth Ash's test from tomorrow, Smith is back in for Usman Kowager after missing the third test defeat at Headingley with concussion.

I came back and before Old Traffat, I think people were saying, oh, he got the upper hand and he and stuff. I'm like, well, he hasn't got me out, like, hit me in the head, but outside of that, he hasn't dismissed me and still hasn't to this day. Down the wicket comes Smith and wipes that, smashes it over deep mid-wicket four. Stakes balls wide and Smith chases it and hits it for football. That was a long way outside the Elf Stump, and that's his half century. I think the ideal headspace is you're actually not thinking about anything.

You're just focusing on that red thing coming down at you. He flicks him away. It's a half stop by Stokes. It's enough for Smith to go through for one. He'll come back for two. And it is yet another century for Steve Smith, the unstoppable, the eccentric run machine. And in-between balls, it's just about switching off as much as possible, keeping your mindset in a positive space.

And then when the bowl is running in, you start to focus that little bit more. But hopefully your thoughts are, there's not too many of them. It's nice and quiet. Broad, his shadow to his right, the crowd excitable, goes in and bowls to Smith, who works out of way. There it is. 200. And you'll take another for luck as well.

201 and his bat's already raised and old Trafford is on its feet and that's really good to see all you're doing is concentrating on the bowler coming in at you and then when he releases the ball just the red thing coming down at you and trying to watch that as closely as possible

every time. Here's root balls a sweep shot, a top edge down to deep square leg it goes that'll spin, collected tidily it's another run and that's absolutely off they come. Australia have declared on 497 for 8 round the wicket to Burns

Oh, he's got a leading edge is caught. Joe Root. England's captain finds himself out there in the middle at naught for one and one of the fastest bowlers in the world. Bowling at him, it's gone straight through him.

Joe Root out, first ball and England are naught for two. I think when we took the final wicket at Old Trafford, you know, just the joy on the guy's face. Hazelwood comes in, Overton's in. Oh, it's out. That's out.

He's out. He's out. He's out. He's reviewing it, though. You know, I think we got sent upstairs and, yeah, we had the, it got given out and we thought it was out and DRS confirmed it. And if it's clipping the bells, that'll be enough for Australia to have taken this final weekend. We're looking at the buttons now and it's hitting. It's out and it's all over. Just the joy on the guy's face is to know that we'd retain the ashes at that stage and had one more game to try and win them. Yeah, I think that was the best part of it for me, just the people's faces when we won that game and how excited everyone was.

Australia have won this game by 185 runs. They're all huckermucker out there. Delighted to have retained the ashes and what has been an extraordinary campaign. And yeah, I thought the way we turned it round again at Old Trafford to win that game. retain the ashes was a, you know, a special feeling. Pass the stumps, bowls to Smith, trapped on the pad, is he missed it? I cannot believe what we have just witnessed. Steve Smith has missed the ball. There is no back near the ball as it hits him on the pad.

And Morea Erasmus has given it out. Steve Smith walks back to the pavilion, he's into the show. shadows now. He raises his back to the crowd as he will now walk up the stairs. Steve Smith out for 80. Broad runs in and Smith walks across the... Ooh. Got it! He's caught. He's caught at legs led by Stokes. It's happened. They found a way to get Smith out as he didn't keep that down and England are triumphant. They found a way to get the demigod out. Honestly, I was completely stuffed. I was so mentally fatigued that, you know, I was struggling in that last innings, just focusing and concentrating.

You know, I put in so much mental energy over the last six weeks or so for the other test matches that, you know, when it came to that second innings at the overall, I was just exhausted, you know, and I felt when I walked off the field, I just didn't have anything left. You know, I remember sitting down and going, sorry lads I was cooked here I was I was just done mentally and I'm not sure I've ever got in that space before but

you know I was proud of the effort that I'd put in for those six weeks to get to that point where you know I really literally had nothing left to give mentally leach strides in and he bowls and that's clipped away and it's a brilliant catch by joe root first ball it was clipped hard and low and to his left. And it's somehow fitting that this summer, this international summer, should end with a movement of brilliance like that. An incredible catch. Congratulations each other. They have leveled this series.

I definitely had disappointment. You know, I've been here a few times now and not being able to win it and that was certainly something on my bucket list to win an Asher series away and to get so close and not be able to to get over at the final hurdle was disappointing, but yeah, it was still a great series to be involved in. Well, they're celebrating there, the champagne corps are going, and there is some bunting flying up, and they are raising more than a smile. They're jumping up and down and spraying the champagne around, as Australia have indeed retained the ashes. That's what's half of what they came to do. They haven't won the series. That has been shared.

I think the series was great for the game. You know, it was exciting. It had plenty of ups and down, throughout. You know, it was just entertaining cricket, I thought, and yeah, it was just a tremendous series, and I think it bodes well for the upcoming one. win the Ashes, and you can watch the documentary in full now on the BBC I player. Don't forget, there's full coverage of the Ashes and the women's ashes coming up this summer across the BBC on radio, TV and online, including commentary on every ball on test match special. It just smashed right into the World Trade Center. It's a big, big explosion of planes. People who knew me, a story about lies. You used a terrorist attack to run away from your mess and

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