Jamie Smith (cricketer)

Jamie Luke Smith (born 12 July 2000) is an English cricketer who plays for Surrey and England. He has been described by BBC Test Match Special commentator Daniel Norcross as a "generational talent".

Domestic career
Smith first played cricket on a summer course at Sutton Cricket Club, aged six or seven, having been inspired by the 2005 Ashes series. By the age of nine, whilst still at primary school in Ewell, he was part of Surrey's development system. Like several of the county's players, he attended Whitgift School on a cricket scholarship, and was scoring hundreds by the age of 12, as well as keeping wicket. He was also a talented footballer, and played for AFC Wimbledon until the age of 15.

He made his Twenty20 debut for Surrey in the 2018 T20 Blast on 5 July 2018, and his first-class debut for Surrey against the Marylebone Cricket Club in Dubai on 24 March 2019. Scoring 127 runs in the first innings of this match, he became the ninth Surrey batsman to make a century on first-class debut, and broke the county's record for the highest total by a first-class debutant, which had stood since 1899. He made his List A debut on 25 April 2019 for Surrey in the 2019 Royal London One-Day Cup.

In April 2022, Smith scored his maiden first-class double century, reaching 234 not out against Gloucestershire in the County Championship. He was part of the Surrey team that won the title in 2022 and 2023.

In March 2023, he was bought by the Birmingham Phoenix for the 2023 season of The Hundred. On 21 August 2023, Smith signed a new multi-year contract with Surrey.

International career
In January 2023, Smith was included in the England Lions squad for their tour of Sri Lanka. On 8–9 February, in an unofficial Test match against Sri Lanka A in Galle, he scored the fastest ever century for the Lions. In reaching his hundred off 71 balls, he broke the previous record, set by Luke Wright against New Zealand A in March 2009, by 20 deliveries. Smith later said that the approach of England coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes to Test cricket (so-called "Bazball") had altered his perspective on batting, such that whereas previously he had been "pretty tentative at the crease", during the tour "the way [he] looked to play was a lot more dominant, looking at positive options".

In September 2023, Smith received his first full call up for England for the ODI series against Ireland. The selectors had been looking for an opportunity to introduce him to Test cricket for some time when, the following summer, he was selected ahead of Ben Foakes and Jonny Bairstow as wicket-keeper for the home Test series against the West Indies. He made his Test debut at Lord's on 10 July 2024 and scored 70 in his first innings,  when Scyld Berry said that he had "batted like an old master, not a debutant".