By David Nagel
The statistics are mind blowing and the purity of his craft is to be admired; but the genius behind the wand-waving ability of Pakenham champion Chris Smith is hidden in the calculated cricket-machine on his shoulders.
Smith, or ‘Smudge’ to his Pakenham teammates, created history at Glover Reserve on Saturday, blazing 229 not out, from 76 rain-reduced overs, to break his own club record and complete a preposterous 12 months of his career.
On January 26 last year, Smith began a remarkable run of 662 runs without dismissal, with his 140 not out against Devon Meadows – on the very ground he destroyed them again on Saturday – the beginning of something special.
He backed that up just seven days later with the first double century of his career, before dousing his 210 not out against Merinda Park with a new career-best 214 not out against Cardinia just three weeks later.
His remarkable run came to an end in round 14 against Tooradin; where he fell just two runs short of a fourth-consecutive visit to triple figures.
Since beginning his senior career as a 15-year-old for Pakenham Upper/Toomuc on February 4, 2006, Smith has been the Casey Cardinia Cricket Association’s number-one run-getter.
He made 2998 runs for the Yabbies, before moving to Toomuc Reserve for the 2013/14 season.
He has since made 6348 runs for the Lions, taking his overall tally to 9346 at the remarkable average of 44.72.
He has now scored 21 centuries across his time at both clubs; raised his bat for a half-century on 51 occasions and now has a new top score of 229 not out after 20 seasons in the top flight.
His current captain, opening partner and great friend Jack Anning has seen it all up close.
He is as impressed and full of admiration as anyone that has seen the elegant right-hander elevate his game to new levels by picking to pieces his opposition.
Anning began in the middle on Saturday, and then admired from afar as Smith cracked 34 fours and five sixes on his way to his record score.
“He’s a marvel; his ability to identify what the bowler and opposition captain are trying to do, and then manipulate the field to his own benefit is like something I’ve never seen before,” Anning said.
“There are a lot of guys that do it with brute force, but Chris doesn’t do it that way.
“He’s ability to read the play is next level.
“On Saturday, they had a wide-mid-off, cover and cover-point, on angles that didn’t allow a gap to be there; but he pierced the gap three or four times in two overs.
“I don’t envy anyone that has to try and set fields for him; he’s so clever and sees things well in advance of when I see them when we open the batting together.
“He’ll tell me to ‘watch out for this’, or, ‘they’re trying to do this’, ‘have you noticed this’; he’s mindset and how clever he is gets underrated because of how quiet, reserved and humble he is.
“I’ve said it for a long time now, and I say it regularly to him, that the 34-year-old version of Chris Smith would be an outstanding captain.
“But I don’t think that’s high on his priority list right now.”
Anning said Smith’s capacity to grind things out is another underrated feature of his game.
“He’s got this ridiculous ability to not throw it away and not mentally quit,” Anning said.
“He was 130 not out on Saturday and let a full over go through to the keeper; where a lot of guys in that position would be looking for the big shots.
“He just gave himself a reset and soldiered on from there; looking for his next boundary ball.
“It’s just a ridiculous mental capacity to not bail out.”
Pakenham has had many great champions over the years, with players like Eddie Lewis and Dallas Wyatt considered the best of the best over the long journey.
Smith’s record, which now contains three double-centuries, would more than match motors with those legends; but Anning fell short of naming his close friend as Pakenham’s greatest-ever player.
“I have a connection with people like dad (Club President Phil Anning), Eddie Lewis, Clinton Smith and Keith Popovits, because I’ve grown up with those guys and I’m fully aware of the history of the club, dating back to the sixties when dad first started playing,” Jack said.
“One thing we’re really mindful of, guys like myself and Dom (Paynter), when we talk about the history, is that we don’t disrespect the past and say that ‘Chris Smith has to be our greatest ever player’.
“We can’t comment on that because we never saw Eddie Lewis play.
“I can read his statistics, listen to stories about how they went about it, but I think it would be disrespectful for us to declare him the greatest player that Pakenham has ever had.
“But for us in the modern world, Chris and Dale (Tormey) have separated themselves to the next level; both statistically and how they go about their cricket.”
Anning said he felt humbled to captain a player that he almost considers a hero, and is more than happy to have his name connected with the batting maestro stories get longer and more animated down the track.
“We’ve got a wonderful relationship and it’s just a privilege to be at the non-strikers end and watch him go about this work,” Anning said.
“Maybe in the future my legacy will be – if anyone remembers me – that I was Chris Smith’s opening partner.
“I’d be more than happy to be remembered as the guy at the other end.
“Admittedly, when he does get these big scores I’m normally out pretty early…but the scoreboard still says C Smith; J Anning, that went out to open the innings.”
