By David Nagel
Pakenham (8/367) champion Chris Smith took his magnificent career to extraordinary new heights on Saturday with a career-first double-century against Merinda Park.
The elegant right-hander’s 210 not out was punctuated with 32 glorious fours, hit from 227 balls, and superseded his previous best effort of 177 in 2013/14.
Smith has made more runs than any other player in the WGCA/CCCA Premier Division since a competition management system was introduced in 2008/09; having now made 7706 runs at the elite average of 43.05.
The 33-year-old has also made the most hundreds (17) and half-centuries (42); and is now the proud owner of the highest score at the top-level in the last 15 years.
His first double-century immediately follows an equally-impressive 140 not out against Devon Meadows on Australia Day last week; taking his eight-day total to 350 without dismissal.
The self-effacing Smith said it was great to finally cash in, having made seven scores of between 28 and 58 this season ahead of his fantastic fortnight of fun.
“I don’t know if it’s the best that I’ve ever batted, but I certainly felt like I was in control of both innings,” Smith said.
“This season has been a frustrating one personally; a season of starts, and it’s easy to say after two big scores, but I really emphasised to myself to go deep into both innings.
“Things went my way; I had some luck, but it feels good to finally convert starts into good scores.”
The man nicknamed ‘Smudge’ has the unique and innate ability to hit the ball to all parts of the ground, with anywhere from third-man to fine-leg all danger-zones.
That ability magnifies itself even further when the champion batter walks to the crease with clear intent.
“It tends to come naturally, and when you have those days when everything is just clicking, your mind is just a lot clearer and you make better decisions,” he explained.
“On Saturday for example, they pushed the field out, and I was getting tired later in the innings, and I just thought, me trying to clear the fence or hit hard to the boundary, wasn’t the go.
“I just had a clear mindset, started picking the gaps, and it felt easier to pick the gaps and run twos.
“Even though I was quite knackered; that was the best option to build the innings at the time.”
Smith lost his opening partner Jack Anning (2) early, then put together a rock-solid 121-run stand with his skipper Dale Tormey (55).
The Lions were 2/159 at tea, with Smith cruising, unbeaten on 92.
With Stuart Johnson (16) for company, he brought up triple figures off the fourth ball of the 49th over, and chalked up his 150 with long-time teammate Sean Gramc (41) at the crease.
Youngster Marcus Martini (9) then had the best seat in the house as Smith raised his bat for 200.
“It was very hot, very dry out there, not much of a breeze, and it’s a mental battle sometimes,” he said.
“The boys were good, running out plenty of water, just talking to me a lot, and the boys coming in helped me through the hard times.
“The Johnson boys, they’re quite knowledgeable to the game; they run well between the wickets, they’re very good communicators, and then Sean (Gramc) came in and started hitting boundaries from ball one.
“That took the pressure off me to score quickly, and gave me time to rotate the strike, hand it over to him, and save some energy for later in the day.”
The Lions opener said the full extent of his achievement was yet to fully sink in.
“Not really; you don’t wake up thinking today’s the day I’m going to make a double ton, and it hasn’t sunk in yet for sure,” he said.
“I was talking to Stu Johnson on the way home and said it ‘sort of feels weird right now’.
“I felt like it wasn’t my cleanest hitting of the ball all day, but I’ve made 200.
“I’ve had innings where I’ve hit everything out of the middle and only made 50, but Saturday wasn’t that day, and I made 200…it’s quite bazaar.
“It’ll sink in over the next few days and I’ll look back fondly on the achievement.”
A new-dad late last year, with wife Mollie giving birth to baby-boy Ollie, the champion batter has a clearer perspective as to what he deems as important.
“It’s like cricket is not coming first anymore,” he explained.
“I always put in 100-percent, but I’m so busy outside of cricket, starting this new chapter in my life with my beautiful wife (Millie) and little kid, that your perspective changes.
“My approach to cricket hasn’t changed, I wouldn’t think, but maybe it has slightly without me noticing too much.
“Maybe it has; maybe it’s made me enjoy cricket for what it is and released the pressure off myself.”
Smith said the relaxed approach had already been engendered by the great leaders at the club, including his close friend and President Phil Anning.
“It’s a great relationship, and I have the greatest respect for him,” he said.
“His motto is; family, work, then cricket, and I love that, because I’m very busy with work and a young family and the leaders of the club understand that.
“It’s not just Phil; Dale’s (Tormey) the captain, Robbie’s (Elston) the coach; they understand my situation and they’re very flexible…and I’m very appreciative of that.
“That understanding means a lot to me and is part of the reason why I enjoy my cricket so much at Pakenham.”
