"A Robin Smith square cut was more than a whipcrack snap of the bat. For English cricket fans of the late 80s and early 90s, it was a nudge in the ribs that, underneath the pastings, the dismal collapses and Rentaghost selections, the national team would fight another day. Smith's cut, alongside a David Gower cover drive, gave hope where there was little left in the bucket."
"Those famous forearms half oak, half baobab the white shirt unbuttoned past the clavicle, the chain glinting through his chest hair, smelt enticingly like bravery, and old spice and one last throw of the dice. The sight of Smith marching out to bat as an opener (in four Tests), No 3 (six), No 4 (30), No 5 (19), No 6 (14) or No 7 (twice) those charmingly indecisive selectors never could quite place him was a high point in a largely post-Botham era."
"He was utterly fearless in the face of extreme pace, beyond any expectation, as fast bowlers reared up at meeting their match and came harder. Watch the highlights of him batting against Ian Bishop at Edgbaston in 1995, just six months before he played his final Test. Bishop is relentless, skilful, brutal and Smith, with barely a flinch, takes blows on the elbow, the shoulder, the rump, but he evades even more."
Robin Smith's square cut and elegant strokeplay provided a rare source of optimism for England cricket in the late 1980s and early 1990s. His physical presence—forearms likened to oak and baobab, unbuttoned shirt and chest hair—projected bravado and daring. Selectors used him in many positions from opener to No 7, reflecting inconsistent placement but consistent impact. His Test average of 43.67 ranked highly among contemporaries. Smith showed exceptional bravery against extreme pace, notably versus Ian Bishop at Edgbaston in 1995, where he absorbed blows and still produced effective evasion and scoring, including 41 in an 89 all-out innings.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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