Jamie Smith celebrates first Test call-up by hitting 10th first-class hundred

Jamie Smith advertised his talent with an excellent knock against Essex - Getty Images/Ben Hoskins

Jamie Smith marked his maiden Test call-up by making his 10th first-class hundred to prop up Surrey against their title rivals Essex.

On Sunday morning England confirmed Telegraph Sport’s report that Smith would keep wicket in the Test series against West Indies, which begins a Lord’s next Wednesday. He has been selected ahead of 100-capper Jonny Bairstow and his Surrey team-mate Ben Foakes.

While the centrally-contracted pair Ollie Pope and Gus Atkinson rested, Smith played in the Championship fixture against Essex at the Kia Oval but, as usual for Surrey, Foakes was carded to keep wicket.

Rather than getting an opportunity to refine his glovework, Smith showed his abundant class with the bat. Essex put Surrey in, and Smith came in at No 4. On a day where no other batsman reached thirty, he made an even hundred before being bowled by Matt Critchley.

The 23-year-old’s innings was his second Championship century of the season and leaves him with a tally of 607 runs at an average of 55. As so often, he appeared to have a little more time than the other batsmen on show, striking 14 fours and two sixes in his 133-ball stay at the crease. He shared a stand of 33 with Foakes, before he was caught behind off the South African seamer Eathan Bosch, who took three wickets.

Another of England’s new call-ups, Dillon Pennington, put in a highly encouraging showing for Nottinghamshire against Lancashire. More than 2,000 people poured into Southport’s Trafalgar Park, in part to watch James Anderson, who is possibly turning out for Lancashire for the final time, ahead of his Test swansong at Lord’s.

Notts winning the toss and inserting Lancashire denied the crowd that opportunity, but they did get a look at Pennington instead. The strong and strapping 25-year-old picked up two wickets to take his season’s tally to 31, and was especially impressive with the new ball under overcast skies at the beginning of the match, regularly beating the bat. He had George Bell taken at second slip then, late in the day, Will Williams caught behind. Pennington appears to be competing with Atkinson to play alongside Anderson at Lord’s and provide a pacy edge to the attack. On the evidence available at Southport, he arrives in good working order.

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In Nottinghamshire’s way stood Keaton Jennings, who has a Championship triple-hundred on this ground, and was immovable in passing 150 on this occasion. He batted beautifully, advancing to the seamers and punishing Nottinghamshire’s seamers. Late in the day, with Nathan Lyon for company, he even ramped Pennington for six, before launching four to cow corner later in the over.

At Chester-le-Street, Ben Stokes returned to the Durham side and made his first significant score of the season, top-scoring with 56 on a topsy-turvy day against Worcestershire. Stokes was aggrieved to be given out caught behind to a short ball as Durham were bundled out for 190, but picked up a wicket as Worcestershire fell to 102 for eight. There were also three wickets for Matthew Potts, another member of England’s squad.

Across Division Two, wickets fell with abandon. There were 17 wickets at Cheltenham, where Gloucestershire  are hosting Glamorgan, while Yorkshire bowled Derbyshire out for 76 at Chesterfield, before moving to 263 for five late in the day. There were also 21 wickets between Sussex and Northamptonshire at Wantage Road, and 20 between Leicestershire and Middlesex at Grace Road.

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