Ashes 2025: Jamie Smith’s drop on day two of the second Test will have England anxious
This piece contrasts two wicketkeepers.
Australia’s Alex Carey delivered a masterclass on day one of the second Ashes Test, while Jamie Smith spilt a crucial chance early on day two in Brisbane.
Smith’s miss on Travis Head, who later crafted a match-winning century in Perth, acted as the turning point that allowed Australia to pounce on some wayward England bowling at the Gabba.
Head was dropped when he had three runs from 25 balls. After that, he accelerated, taking 30 from the next 17 deliveries before miscudging Brydon Carse to mid-off. With opening partner Jake Weatherald, Head helped Australia seize the initiative.
This series is pivotal for Smith, who is playing Ashes cricket for the first time. He was promoted to England’s side at the start of the 2024 summer, with the aim of this tour in mind.
Smith has enjoyed an outstanding start to his Test career. Before the Gabba Test, he averaged nearly 47 with the bat, and his glovework has often been tidy.
Yet, there are signs the 25-year-old still faces hurdles to clear.
Since a remarkable 184 not out and an 88 against India in the second Test in July, followed by 51 in the first innings of the third Test at Lord’s, Smith’s highest score in seven subsequent innings has been 33.
He appeared increasingly lethargic as the India series progressed, with both his batting and keeping affected.
Smith, a Surrey player not always first choice behind the stumps at The Oval (Foakes keeps for England there), has faced an unprecedented workload in recent weeks.
This Ashes will mirror that challenge with five Tests in this tour. Although the Perth opener closed in two days, other hurdles lie in wait for a keeper in Australia.
The expected advantages of steep bounce and true carry demand adjustment, while the extreme heat can sap energy.
Head’s edge seemed to catch Smith off guard. It was a superb delivery from Archer, moving away from round the wicket. In a spell where Archer bowled at about 89.3 mph, one ball rose and beat Smith as Head edged it.
Smith moved to his left and got both hands to it, but could only parry the ball toward slips, where it eluded the fielder.
"That was a beauty from Archer; it came at pace and rose quickly to Jamie Smith, but those chances have to be taken," remarked former England captain Michael Vaughan on Test Match Special.
Former keeper Matt Prior, who was part of England’s 2010-11 Ashes-winning squad in Australia, told TNT: "Dropping that catch is the worst possible spot to be in. He didn’t do much wrong—just got beaten by extra pace and the bounce at the Gabba. It hit him high on the gloves, and that’s a chance you’d expect to take more often than not."
Cricviz data shows Smith’s glovework compares well with other Test keepers. The drop was only the fourth of his career, from 54 previous chances. He sits at about 93% catching efficiency in Tests, while the broader pool of keepers since 2024 has around 89%.
Interestingly, three of Smith’s four drops have come against left-handed batsmen.
Smith is also keeping in a pink-ball Test for the first time.
There had been debate about England sending more players to a floodlit warm-up match between England Lions and a Prime Minister’s XI in Canberra, but Brisbane’s conditions highlight how different this venue is from the capital.
Having had five pink-ball training sessions before this Test, including two under lights, Smith departed England’s first innings for a second-ball duck and also spilled the first chance that came his way.
Another stamp of the Ashes tour is the intensity of media scrutiny that accompanies an England cricketer in Australia.
Smith joined captain Ben Stokes and fast bowler Mark Wood in drawing attention when pictured riding e-scooters without helmets—an offense under Queensland law.
A similar dynamic links Smith with Carey, who drew media focus during England’s 2023 Ashes in the UK for his stumping of Jonny Bairstow at Lord’s.
When BBC Sport queried Carey’s teammate Scott Boland about England’s tour coverage, a Cricket Australia staffer privately noted the attention Carey received two years earlier.
Carey starred on day one in Brisbane, especially when standing up to the fast-medium bowlers.
He almost stumped Harry Brook during England’s attempted scoop and, on another occasion, stood up to the stumps to take a one-handed catch off a bouncer.
The highlight came when Carey sprinted from first slip to reach Gus Atkinson’s top-edge, diving full-length to complete the dismissal.
When Atkinson miscued Mitchell Starc, Carey and fellow fielder Marnus Labuschagne charged toward the boundary to complete the play—a testament to Carey’s bold fielding.
Carey, a former Australian Rules footballer, joked that Labuschagne never overpowered him, adding, "Football days taught me to tag players. Marnus tried to out-muscle me, but I outbodied him today. It’s one of those moments you just commit to fully and dive."
In this narrative of two keepers, Carey currently holds the early edge over Smith.
