Steve Smith’s first Ashes warm-up with Sussex undone by sharp Tongue

Brexit benefits may seem few and far between but one upshot, cricket-wise, has been the decision to allow a second overseas player in the County Championship. At New Road on Friday this meant a chance to watch two modern day greats batting together and though one fell for a middling 30, the other peeled off a classical century.

Steve Smith was the former, his first outing with the bat for Sussex in this short pre-Ashes stint lasting 80 minutes before he was adjudged lbw to Worcestershire’s Josh Tongue. It looked to be a bail-trimmer at best, Smith struck above the knee roll by the right-armer. But without DRS at his disposal, Australia’s best-since-Bradman could only wrinkle his nose before clanking back up the metal steps of the Graeme Hick pavilion.

While delighted to see the back of Smith – and reduce Sussex to 128 for four in reply to their first innings 264 all out – the hosts still had the small matter of Cheteshwar Pujara at the other end. And over the course of the second day the 35-year-old positively crackled, his eighth century for the club brought up shortly after tea and fulfilling the sense of inevitably that his strokeplay exuded.

Indeed, every time Pujara has passed 50 for Sussex he has gone on to turn it into three figures. Here India’s middle-order rock was at his indomitable best, defending stoutly, driving with authority and, at one stage, unfurling the trademark uppercut six that has delighted his army of supporters over the years. Pujara eventually fell for 136 from 189 balls but Sussex, 373 all out and leading by 109 runs, had secured a vice-like grip on proceedings.

All eyes are now on the forecast for the weekend and Smith will be wondering if the second of his possible six innings for Sussex