Last Updated on 3 months by Charbel Coorey

England assistant coach Paul Collingwood has heaped praise on Jamie Smith after his latest half-century. The keeper-batsman saved England from total embarrassment on day three of the third Test against Sri Lanka, hitting 67 off 50 balls during which the team had crumbled to 82/7 after taking a 62-run lead.

In the press conference, Collingwood spoke of Smith’s ability to bat with the lower order and heap pressure on opponents.

“It’s exciting when he comes in, isn’t it? He seems very composed,” Collingwood said. “But I think the amazing thing of watching a guy who reads situations so well and to be able to bat with the lower order in the manner that he does. To have that power… it’s going to put a lot of teams under pressure when you’ve got those skills and the power that he has.”

Smith’s first 15 runs came off 31 balls. His next 52 came off just 19 balls in a remarkable acceleration.

Jamie Smith has similar effect to bowling attacks like Adam Gilchrist – Paul Collingwood

In a huge compliment, Collingwood likened Smith’s game to what the great Adam Gilchrist used to do for Australia. In six Tests, Smith has scored 487 runs at an average of 48.70 and strike rate of 74.12. This includes three fifties and a century.

“Seeing everybody in the crowd just wanting and willing that partnership [with Olly Stone] to carry on,” Collingwood said. “He’s certainly an entertainer. You go back to the days of when Gilchrist used to come in at seven for Australia… it sucks the life out of you as an opposition when someone has the ability to do something like it.”

“Certainly in his [Smith’s] short Test career so far, he’s shown some great skills.”

However, England are still on the backfoot despite Smith’s innings. Sri Lanka finished day three on 94/1, just 125 runs away from victory. The Lions exposed England’s frenetic second innings, where it was almost a shot-a-ball as Ollie Pope’s team failed to seize the advantage.

England will still go on to win the series regardless of the result, but their hopes of reaching the World Test Championship (WTC) Final will be all but over if they don’t pull off a remarkable win on day four.