Will Smeed's confidence of youth shows the way

JACK BUTLER: After failing to score off his opening two deliveries, the Birmingham Phoenix batter could have lost his nerve. But the 19-year-old stuck to his guns and played his natural game, laying the platform for Liam Livingstone

In 2001, Will Smeed was born. I say this because it is important to remember that one of the best finds of The Hundred is very much still learning his trade. 

So far, the 19-year-old's performances for Birmingham Phoenix have been on another level. Prior to facing Trent Rockets, Smeed had hit 146 runs in just three innings - 36 (13), 45 (28) and 65* (38). It’s some return considering he was only called up as a late replacement when Henry Brookes was forced out with injury. 

There’s no doubt Smeed was shocked when he got the nod. Tournaments like The Hundred have a knack of unearthing stories like this. Players can go from Second XI cricket to mixing it against international stars in a couple of months. In Smeed’s case, solely because of one call from his agent - and a bit of faith from the Phoenix analyst. 

As he hurriedly packed his bag to go and play with the likes of Moeen Ali and Liam Livingstone, he probably couldn't imagine it going as well as it has. At the time of his call-up, Smeed had played just 16 matches at the domestic level, for his county Somerset. There is no doubt that Birmingham Phoenix took a risk, but for both the team and the player - it has come off in abundance. 

Smeed has made a habit of lightning-fast starts, but stuck on zero after his first two balls - both of which swung tantalisingly past his outside edge - he could have been forgiven for thinking he needed to change his buccaneering approach.

But he didn't. He stayed true to himself. And such is the audacity of the youngster, his next three balls went for four. A player of his limited experience could easily have panicked and made a poor decision, but Smeed stayed true to his game, he backed himself, and in a flash he was 12 off five.

Eventually, Smeed was out, caught for 18 off just 10 deliveries but, that's not the point. 

His ‘failure’ (and it’s very harsh to call it that, but 18 is his lowest score so far and he's set very high standards with his form) didn't hinder his team. The Somerset opener may have been out relatively cheaply - but he was out striking at 180. In The Hundred, the value of your wicket is so low that it doesn't matter if you chuck your wicket away because your side are already 24 for 1 after 13 balls. Not only had Smeed set the platform, but he also set the tone. 

Others will get the praise, but if Livingstone was walking out at 0-1 after three balls it would have been a very different story altogether. It was a tame dismissal for Smeed, yes, but in a week of talented, young Somerset openers being criticised for hitting the ball in the air, Smeed shouldn't change his mindset one bit. 

^{Smeed's success comes after Blast success for Somerset}

After all, it's the risks that he takes that have got him to this position. In 20 domestic matches (all T20/100), Smeed has hit three fifties, 30 sixes, and 45 fours on his way to 541 runs. His career strike rate is 141 and he is averaging comfortably over 30. When you look at his stats, and the ease and regularity with which he finds the fence, he almost becomes a cheat code ready-made for The Hundred that somehow only the Phoenix knew existed.

To focus on his dismissal and the possible ways to avoid it would only weaken what is his biggest strength - finding the boundary. His job is to score runs quickly, and while 18 off 10 isn't an innings that will get the headlines, it played its part in the Phoenix going on to win the match. 

Upon Smeed's dismissal, arguably the most in-form white-ball batter in the men's game walked out. Livingstone went on to smash a fifty as the Phoenix rocked up 166 - a score the Rockets never looked like chasing, eventually falling 17 runs short. 

After early problems, he continued to attack, and he continued to find the boundary. And with all the success he has had so far doing just that, Smeed shouldn’t - not for even a second - think about doing anything differently. 

The ECB’s Hundred Rising is providing eight aspiring, young journalists the opportunity to tell the story of The Hundred men’s and women’s competitions through their own eyes.