Steve Smith reaches third BBL century and equals record with Ben McDermott

Steve Smith made a thunderous return to T20 cricket by smashing an unbeaten 121 in his first match of the Big Bash League (BBL) season. Opening the league against the Sydney Sixers, Smith hit the fourth T20 century of his career, his third in the BBL, to lead his team to a record total at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).

The Australian star, who was part of the team that recently won the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at home against India, looked unstoppable on January 11. His knock propelled the Sixers to 222/3, their highest BBL score ever.

Steve Smith breaks BBL records

Smith’s enthralling innings came off just 58 balls, including 10 fours and seven towering sixes. It was his second-highest T20 score, only behind the 125* he surpassed in January 2023. What’s more impressive? All of his BBL centuries have come as openers in the last two years.

Opening alongside Josh Philippe, Smith started cautiously. He hit just over a run until the halfway mark. However, he changed gears after a missed catch by Cooper Connolly in the 10th over, making the Scorchers pay dearly.

In the 13th over, Smith added to his half-century in 36 balls. By the penultimate over, he had reached his century and needed just 58 deliveries to achieve the milestone. He finished the innings in style, smashing three sixes in Jason Behrendorff’s last over.

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Steve Smith equals BBL century record

Smith’s third BBL century puts him at the top of the tournament’s century-makers list, tied with Hobart Hurricanes’ Ben McDermott. Only seven other players have reached multiple hundreds in BBL history, making Smith’s achievement even more significant.

Here’s a quick look at players with multiple BBL centuries:

Turning point for the Sixers

Smith’s innings proved to be the turning point for the Sixers. After losing Philippe early to Behrendorff, Smith steadied the innings. Captain Moisés Henriques contributed a quickfire 46 off 23 balls, while Ben Dwarshuis added the finishing touch with a seven-ball, 23-run charge.

The Perth Scorchers’ decision to bowl first backfired as the Sixers racked up a mammoth total. Chasing 223, the Scorchers fell short, giving the Sixers a comfortable victory.

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