Steve Smith Sets Record as Top Overseas Run-Scorer at Lord's During WTC Final

Historic Achievement at Lord's

London [UK], June 11: In a remarkable display of skill, former Australian captain Steve Smith has become the leading run-scorer among international players in Test matches at the renowned Lord's Stadium during the World Test Championship (WTC) final against South Africa.

The 36-year-old cricketer amassed 66 runs from 112 deliveries, featuring 10 boundaries in his innings.

With this performance, Smith has now accumulated a total of 591 runs across six matches at Lord's, having played 10 innings. His batting average stands at an impressive 59.10, which includes three half-centuries and two centuries, with his highest score being 215.

Following him on the list are Australia's Warren Bardsley with 575 runs in five matches, West Indies' Garfield Sobers with 571 runs in five matches, Australia's Don Bradman with 551 runs in four matches, and West Indies' Shivnarine Chanderpaul with 512 runs in five matches.

During this match, Smith also surpassed the legendary Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, moving to second place for the most fifty-plus scores in ICC tournament knockout matches.

Smith continues to enhance his reputation as a clutch player for Australia, scoring yet another half-century against South Africa in the WTC final at Lord's. Coming in at a challenging position of 16/2, he showcased his batting prowess with a fluent 66 runs off 112 balls, maintaining a strike rate of 58.92.

This marks Smith's seventh fifty-plus score in ICC knockout matches, surpassing Tendulkar, who recorded six such scores in 15 matches, totaling 682 runs at an average of 48.71, including one century and five fifties.

Virat Kohli of India remains the leading player in ICC knockout matches, being the only cricketer to score over 1,000 runs in these high-stakes games. He has achieved 1,024 runs in 22 matches and 24 innings, averaging 51.20, with one century and nine fifties, including a best score of 117 against New Zealand in the 2023 World Cup semifinal in Mumbai.

In the match itself, South Africa won the toss and chose to bowl first, putting Australia in a tough spot at 67/4 by the end of the first session. However, contributions from Smith (66) and Beau Webster (55*) helped Australia recover to 190/6 by the end of the second session, with Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen each taking two wickets.