M J K Smith
Encyclopedia
Michael John Knight Smith OBE
, better known as M.J.K. Smith or Mike Smith (born 30 June 1933, Westcotes
, Leicestershire
) was a bespectacled cricketer
who was captain of Oxford University Cricket Club
(1956), Warwickshire County Cricket Club
(1957-67) and the England cricket team (1963-66)P. He was one of England's most popular cricket captains and as he also played rugby union
Smith was England's last double international.
and St. Edmund Hall, Oxford, where he read geography. He was President of Vincent's Club in 1956. While at university in 1951-55 he played in the summer for Leicestershire County Cricket Club
, the county of his birth. Smith came to prominence playing for Oxford University
, scoring centuries in three consecutive Varsity match
es against Cambridge
, from 1954 to 1956. He also represented England at rugby union
against Wales
in 1956. He remains England's last double international to date in major sports by reference to his final appearance in 1972. Arthur Milton
, a double international in football
and cricket, is later in terms of his first appearance in a second sport, making his Test debut six weeks after Smith.
in 1957 to take over the captaincy. In the 1950s an amateur had to captain the county and Warwickshire had no capabale amateurs. Despite wearing steel-rimmed spectacles Smith was heavy run-maker in County cricket
and passed 2,000 runs a season each year from 1957 to 1962, including 3,245 runs (57.94) in 1959, but his fragility against fast bowling meant that he could not hold down a regular place in the Test team. It was not his only failing as 'Mike is widely remembered...as a very unreliable runner between the wickets. Warwickshire tales of woe in this respect are numerous and I can remember a call between them in 1964 going something like "No A.C.
" - Yes, Mike" - Wait A.C.
" - "Damn it, Mike" - "Sorry A.C.
" He was, however, a mantis
-like close fielder who took a record 593 catches for Warwickshire and 53 catches in 50 Tests for England. His outwardly nonchalant captaincy hid a good cricketing brain and he took a rebuilt Warwickshire side to third, fourth and second place in the County Championship
in 1962-64.
in the First Test. In the Second Test at Lords he took 230 minutes to make 47 in a match where Englkand (269) beat New Zealand (47 and 74) by a innings on a poor wicket. In the Third Test at Headingley
Smith made 3 and was dropped. Recalled as a top order batsman against India in 1959 he made his maiden Test century, exactly 100 in the Fourth Test at Old Trafford followed by 98 in the Fifth Test at the Oval
. He played his first full series in the West Indies in 1959-60
, making 39 in the First Test, 108 in 350 minutes in England's 256 run victory in the Second Test, taking longer to reach three figures than the notorius stonewaller Ken Barrington
. Thereafter his weakness against quality fast bowling was exposed by Wes Hall
and Chester Watson
with innings of 12, 0, 10, 0, 23 and 20, but he recovered with 96 in the second innings of the Fifth Test, adding 197 for the seventh wicket with thew wicketkeeper Jim Parks. Against South Africa in 1960
he started well with 54 and 28 in the First Test and top-scoring with 99 in the Second Test, where England won by an innings on another poor wicket. This was followed by 0, 0 and 11 and the next year against Australia he was out for a duck in the First Test at Edgbaston when the part-time bowler Ken Mackay
took 3 wickets in four balls and he was dropped for the rest of the summer. It was thought that Smith would do better in India and Pakistan on the MCC tour of 1961-62 and he made another 99 in the First Test against Pakistan, having come in at 21/2 and adding 192 with Ken Barrington
. This stood him in good stead as he mad three successive ducks against India before recovering with 73 when recalled for the Fifth Test. Despite his powerful run-making in the County Championship
Smith's batting was class a fragile and he was dropped from the England team for three years.
in 25 of his 50 Test match
appearances, yet in a period rich in batting talent he was rarely guaranteed a place. Uncertainty against fast bowling, particularly early in an innings, was exposed by a series of low scores in the mid 1960s, and Smith faced considerable press criticism, unusual for the time. But, Smith was known as a good tourist and was made captain of the England tour of India in 1963-64 when Ted Dexter
and Colin Cowdrey
were unavailable and without England's top bowlers Brian Statham
and Fred Trueman
. He lost the toss five times in a row and had so many injuries and illnesses that in the Second Test at Madras Smith had to use three batsmen, two wicket-keepers and six bowlers. When Mickey Stewart was unable to play after the first day because of dysentery
he seriously considered calling up the cricket journalist Henry Blofeld
, but managed to survive with just 10 men. Smith became the first England captain to draw all fives Tests in a series (it was the third time India had done this) and was considered to have done well to avoid defeat. It was his best series with 306 runs (51.00) and when Ted Dexter
retired after losing 1-0 to Bobby Simpson’s
Australia in 1964
Smith was made captain for England's last tour of South Africa before the Basil d'Oliveira
Crisis. He won 1-0 against the talented Springboks, the last captain to defeat them in a Test series until 1996-97. It was also a personal success as he made he took four catches in the vital First Test and 10 in the series. He also made his third and last Test century, a top-score of 121 in England's 442 as they replied to South Africa's 501/7 in the Third Test, and made 257 runs (42.83). Smith beat a weak New Zealand 3-0, but lost 1-0 to South Africa at home in 1965, but was appointed captain for the MCC tour of Australia in 1965-66 with Cowdrey as vice-captain, despite support for the Kent captain
at Lords. Although the press labelled the England team
as the weakest to go to Australia
, their entertaining cricket won them favour with the crowds. They also made their runs faster than any other England team since the war and for once England batted faster than Australia, a refreshing contrast to other Ashes
series of the era. The tourists had had the best run of games of any MCC team since the war, beating Western Australia
, South Australia
and New South Wales
, drawing with Queensland
, when they needed two more wickets to win, and losing to Victoria
by 32 runs after a run-chase. As a result the bookies
reduced the odds of their winning the Ashes
from 7/2 to evens. England survived the follow on to draw the First Test and made 558 in the Second, both drawn. At Sydney in the Third Test England rattled up 488 and won by an innings and 93 runs to give them a 1–0 lead in the series. It was Australia's biggest defeat at home for nearly 50 years, but the home team fought back to win the Fourth Test by an innings and retained the Ashes
. Rain ruined play in New Zealand and the three Test series was drawn 0-0 despite the home team suffering at the hands of the England bowlers. On his return to England Smith was dropped after losing the First Test against the West Indies in 1966
by an innings. He was replaced by Cowdrey and retired at the end of the following season.
Unlike his predecessors Len Hutton
, Peter May
and Ted Dexter
Smith rode '...the side with a loose rein, believing it knew where it was going and need only an occasional tug to keep it on the right course. I think most players appreciated this and his openness as a person brought a better response on the field.' He thought that any bowler good enough to played for England knew what field suited him best and generally let his men play in their own style, though this resulted in slow over rates as he did not chivvy them along. Even the truculent fast bowler John Snow
'...thought he was very astute in his handling of players...' and recalled '...Mike Smith adding a few words of congratulations in his thoroughly open, absent-minded-professor sort of way'. E.W. Swanton reported that 'Smith, though outwardly unconventional and in manner casual to a degree, succeeds as a captain for the conventional reasons. He is thoughtful for his players, unselfish, does not 'fuss' them or panic, shows a grasp of the situation which they deem in general sensible and not least gives an inspiring personal lead in the field'.
(1991–1996). His son Neil Smith followed in his footsteps by captaining Warwickshire and playing, albeit only in One Day Internationals, for England.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, better known as M.J.K. Smith or Mike Smith (born 30 June 1933, Westcotes
Westcotes
Westcotes is an area to the west of the city of Leicester. It is also known as the West End. The area is quite small in comparison with other areas of the city, but it is well known as it has many shops, bars and restaurants and is a popular choice for students and young professionals.-Roman:Two...
, Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
) was a bespectacled cricketer
Cricketer
A cricketer is a person who plays the sport of cricket. Official and long-established cricket publications prefer the traditional word "cricketer" over the rarely used term "cricket player"....
who was captain of Oxford University Cricket Club
Oxford University Cricket Club
Oxford University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team, representing the University of Oxford. It plays its home games at the University Parks in Oxford, England...
(1956), Warwickshire County Cricket Club
Warwickshire County Cricket Club
Warwickshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Warwickshire. Its limited overs team is called the Warwickshire Bears. Their kit colours are black and gold and the shirt sponsor...
(1957-67) and the England cricket team (1963-66)P. He was one of England's most popular cricket captains and as he also played rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
Smith was England's last double international.
University
Smith was educated at Stamford SchoolStamford School
Stamford School is an English independent school situated in the market town of Stamford, Lincolnshire, England. It has been a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference since 1920.-History:...
and St. Edmund Hall, Oxford, where he read geography. He was President of Vincent's Club in 1956. While at university in 1951-55 he played in the summer for Leicestershire County Cricket Club
Leicestershire County Cricket Club
Leicestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Leicestershire. It has also been representative of the county of Rutland....
, the county of his birth. Smith came to prominence playing for Oxford University
Oxford University Cricket Club
Oxford University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team, representing the University of Oxford. It plays its home games at the University Parks in Oxford, England...
, scoring centuries in three consecutive Varsity match
Varsity match
A varsity match is a sporting fixture between two university rivals; in its original and most common form, it is used to describe meetings between Oxford University and Cambridge University.-Popular British and Irish Varsity matches:*University of Oxford v...
es against Cambridge
Cambridge University Cricket Club
Cambridge University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team. It now plays all but one of its first-class cricket matches as part of the Cambridge University Centre of Cricketing Excellence , which includes Anglia Ruskin University...
, from 1954 to 1956. He also represented England at rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
against Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
in 1956. He remains England's last double international to date in major sports by reference to his final appearance in 1972. Arthur Milton
Arthur Milton
Clement Arthur Milton was an English cricketer and footballer. He played County cricket for Gloucestershire from 1948 to 1974, playing six Test matches for England in 1958 and 1959. He also played domestic football for Arsenal between 1951 and 1955, and then for a brief period for Bristol City...
, a double international in football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
and cricket, is later in terms of his first appearance in a second sport, making his Test debut six weeks after Smith.
Warwickshire Captain
Smith was encouraged to move to Warwickshire County Cricket ClubWarwickshire County Cricket Club
Warwickshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Warwickshire. Its limited overs team is called the Warwickshire Bears. Their kit colours are black and gold and the shirt sponsor...
in 1957 to take over the captaincy. In the 1950s an amateur had to captain the county and Warwickshire had no capabale amateurs. Despite wearing steel-rimmed spectacles Smith was heavy run-maker in County cricket
County cricket
County cricket is the highest level of domestic cricket in England and Wales. For the 2010 season, see 2010 English cricket season.-First-class counties:...
and passed 2,000 runs a season each year from 1957 to 1962, including 3,245 runs (57.94) in 1959, but his fragility against fast bowling meant that he could not hold down a regular place in the Test team. It was not his only failing as 'Mike is widely remembered...as a very unreliable runner between the wickets. Warwickshire tales of woe in this respect are numerous and I can remember a call between them in 1964 going something like "No A.C.
Alan Smith (cricketer)
Alan Christopher Smith, known as A. C. Smith is an English former Test cricketer, who appeared in six Tests for England. Primarily a wicket-keeper, Smith was also a capable right-handed middle-order batsman and right-arm seam bowler...
" - Yes, Mike" - Wait A.C.
Alan Smith (cricketer)
Alan Christopher Smith, known as A. C. Smith is an English former Test cricketer, who appeared in six Tests for England. Primarily a wicket-keeper, Smith was also a capable right-handed middle-order batsman and right-arm seam bowler...
" - "Damn it, Mike" - "Sorry A.C.
Alan Smith (cricketer)
Alan Christopher Smith, known as A. C. Smith is an English former Test cricketer, who appeared in six Tests for England. Primarily a wicket-keeper, Smith was also a capable right-handed middle-order batsman and right-arm seam bowler...
" He was, however, a mantis
Mantis
Mantis is the common name of any insect in the order Mantodea, also commonly known as praying mantises. The word itself means "prophet" in Latin and Greek...
-like close fielder who took a record 593 catches for Warwickshire and 53 catches in 50 Tests for England. His outwardly nonchalant captaincy hid a good cricketing brain and he took a rebuilt Warwickshire side to third, fourth and second place in the County Championship
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
in 1962-64.
Early England Career
Mike Smith was called up as a makeshift open against New Zealand in 1958, making 0 and 7 on debut on his home ground at EdgbastonEdgbaston Cricket Ground
Edgbaston Cricket Ground, also known as the County Ground or Edgbaston Stadium, is a cricket ground in the Edgbaston area of Birmingham, England...
in the First Test. In the Second Test at Lords he took 230 minutes to make 47 in a match where Englkand (269) beat New Zealand (47 and 74) by a innings on a poor wicket. In the Third Test at Headingley
Headingley Stadium
Headingley Stadium is a sporting complex in the Leeds suburb of Headingley in West Yorkshire, England. It is the home of Yorkshire County Cricket Club, rugby league team Leeds Rhinos and rugby union team Leeds Carnegie ....
Smith made 3 and was dropped. Recalled as a top order batsman against India in 1959 he made his maiden Test century, exactly 100 in the Fourth Test at Old Trafford followed by 98 in the Fifth Test at the Oval
The Oval
The Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...
. He played his first full series in the West Indies in 1959-60
English cricket team in West Indies in 1959-60
The English cricket team in the West Indies in 1959-60 played five Test matches, eight other first-class matches and two minor games. England won the Test series by one match to nil, with the other four matches being drawn.- The England touring party :...
, making 39 in the First Test, 108 in 350 minutes in England's 256 run victory in the Second Test, taking longer to reach three figures than the notorius stonewaller Ken Barrington
Ken Barrington
Kenneth Frank Barrington , better known as Ken Barrington, played for the English cricket team and Surrey County Cricket Club in the 1950s and 1960s. He was a right-handed batsman and occasional leg-spin bowler, well known for his jovial good humour and long, defensive innings "batting with bulldog...
. Thereafter his weakness against quality fast bowling was exposed by Wes Hall
Wes Hall
Wesley Winfield Hall is a Barbadian former cricketer and politician. A tall, strong and powerfully built man, Hall was a genuine fast bowler and despite his very long run up, he was renowned for his ability to bowl long spells. Hall played 48 Test matches for the West Indies from 1958 to 1969...
and Chester Watson
Chester Watson
Chester Donald Watson is a Jamaican cricketer. Watson played seven Tests for the West Indies in the early 1960s....
with innings of 12, 0, 10, 0, 23 and 20, but he recovered with 96 in the second innings of the Fifth Test, adding 197 for the seventh wicket with thew wicketkeeper Jim Parks. Against South Africa in 1960
South African cricket team in England in 1960
The South African cricket team toured England in the 1960 season to play a five-match Test series against England. The tour was marked by repeated rulings against South African fast bowler Geoff Griffin for throwing and anti-apartheid demonstrations targeting the visiting nation..England won the...
he started well with 54 and 28 in the First Test and top-scoring with 99 in the Second Test, where England won by an innings on another poor wicket. This was followed by 0, 0 and 11 and the next year against Australia he was out for a duck in the First Test at Edgbaston when the part-time bowler Ken Mackay
Ken Mackay
Kenneth Donald Mackay was an Australian cricketer who played in 37 Tests from 1956 to 1963....
took 3 wickets in four balls and he was dropped for the rest of the summer. It was thought that Smith would do better in India and Pakistan on the MCC tour of 1961-62 and he made another 99 in the First Test against Pakistan, having come in at 21/2 and adding 192 with Ken Barrington
Ken Barrington
Kenneth Frank Barrington , better known as Ken Barrington, played for the English cricket team and Surrey County Cricket Club in the 1950s and 1960s. He was a right-handed batsman and occasional leg-spin bowler, well known for his jovial good humour and long, defensive innings "batting with bulldog...
. This stood him in good stead as he mad three successive ducks against India before recovering with 73 when recalled for the Fifth Test. Despite his powerful run-making in the County Championship
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
Smith's batting was class a fragile and he was dropped from the England team for three years.
England Captain
Smith captained EnglandEnglish cricket team
The England and Wales cricket team is a cricket team which represents England and Wales. Until 1992 it also represented Scotland. Since 1 January 1997 it has been governed by the England and Wales Cricket Board , having been previously governed by Marylebone Cricket Club from 1903 until the end...
in 25 of his 50 Test match
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
appearances, yet in a period rich in batting talent he was rarely guaranteed a place. Uncertainty against fast bowling, particularly early in an innings, was exposed by a series of low scores in the mid 1960s, and Smith faced considerable press criticism, unusual for the time. But, Smith was known as a good tourist and was made captain of the England tour of India in 1963-64 when Ted Dexter
Ted Dexter
Edward Ralph Dexter CBE is a former English cricketer...
and Colin Cowdrey
Colin Cowdrey
Michael Colin Cowdrey, Baron Cowdrey of Tonbridge, CBE , better known as Colin Cowdrey, was the Captain of Oxford University, Kent County Cricket Club and the England cricket team in a career that lasted from 1950 to 1976...
were unavailable and without England's top bowlers Brian Statham
Brian Statham
John Brian "George" Statham, CBE was one of the leading English fast bowlers in 20th-century English cricket. Initially a bowler of a brisk fast-medium pace, Statham was able to remodel his action to generate enough speed to become genuinely fast...
and Fred Trueman
Fred Trueman
Frederick Sewards Trueman OBE was an English cricketer, generally acknowledged as one of the greatest fast bowlers in history. A bowler of genuinely fast pace who was widely known as Fiery Fred, Trueman played first-class cricket for Yorkshire County Cricket Club from 1949 until he retired in 1968...
. He lost the toss five times in a row and had so many injuries and illnesses that in the Second Test at Madras Smith had to use three batsmen, two wicket-keepers and six bowlers. When Mickey Stewart was unable to play after the first day because of dysentery
Dysentery
Dysentery is an inflammatory disorder of the intestine, especially of the colon, that results in severe diarrhea containing mucus and/or blood in the faeces with fever and abdominal pain. If left untreated, dysentery can be fatal.There are differences between dysentery and normal bloody diarrhoea...
he seriously considered calling up the cricket journalist Henry Blofeld
Henry Blofeld
Henry Calthorpe Blofeld is a sports journalist. He is best known as a cricket commentator for Test Match Special on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra.Blofeld had an exceptional career as a schoolboy cricketer, cut short by injury...
, but managed to survive with just 10 men. Smith became the first England captain to draw all fives Tests in a series (it was the third time India had done this) and was considered to have done well to avoid defeat. It was his best series with 306 runs (51.00) and when Ted Dexter
Ted Dexter
Edward Ralph Dexter CBE is a former English cricketer...
retired after losing 1-0 to Bobby Simpson’s
Bob Simpson (cricketer)
Robert Baddeley Simpson AO is a former cricketer who played for New South Wales, Western Australia and Australia, captaining the national team from 1963–64 until 1967–68, and again in 1977–78. He later had a highly successful term as the coach of the Australian team...
Australia in 1964
Australian cricket team in England in 1964
The Australian cricket team toured England in the 1964 season to play a five-match Test series against England for The Ashes.Australia won the series 1-0 with 4 matches drawn and therefore retained The Ashes.-Test series summary:...
Smith was made captain for England's last tour of South Africa before the Basil d'Oliveira
Basil D'Oliveira
Basil Lewis D'Oliveira CBE , known affectionately around the world as "Dolly", was a South African-born English cricketer. D'Oliveira was classified as 'coloured' under the apartheid regime, and hence barred from first-class cricket, resulting in his emigration to England...
Crisis. He won 1-0 against the talented Springboks, the last captain to defeat them in a Test series until 1996-97. It was also a personal success as he made he took four catches in the vital First Test and 10 in the series. He also made his third and last Test century, a top-score of 121 in England's 442 as they replied to South Africa's 501/7 in the Third Test, and made 257 runs (42.83). Smith beat a weak New Zealand 3-0, but lost 1-0 to South Africa at home in 1965, but was appointed captain for the MCC tour of Australia in 1965-66 with Cowdrey as vice-captain, despite support for the Kent captain
Kent County Cricket Club
Kent County Cricket Club is one of the 18 first class county county cricket clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the county of Kent...
at Lords. Although the press labelled the England team
English cricket team in Australia in 1965-66
M.J.K. Smith captained the English cricket team in Australia in 1965–66, playing as England in the 1965-66 Ashes series against the Australians and as the MCC in their other matches on the tour...
as the weakest to go to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, their entertaining cricket won them favour with the crowds. They also made their runs faster than any other England team since the war and for once England batted faster than Australia, a refreshing contrast to other Ashes
The Ashes
The Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia. It is one of the most celebrated rivalries in international cricket and dates back to 1882. It is currently played biennially, alternately in the United Kingdom and Australia. Cricket being a summer sport, and the venues...
series of the era. The tourists had had the best run of games of any MCC team since the war, beating Western Australia
Western Warriors
The Western Australia cricket team are an Australian first class cricket team representing the state of Western Australia...
, South Australia
Southern Redbacks
The South Australia cricket team, nicknamed the Southern Redbacks and known as the West End Redbacks due to their sponsorship agreement with local brewers West End, are an Australian first class cricket team based in Adelaide, South Australia, and represent the state of South Australia...
and New South Wales
New South Wales Blues
The New South Wales cricket team are an Australian first class cricket team based in Sydney, New South Wales...
, drawing with Queensland
Queensland Bulls
The Queensland cricket team, nicknamed the Bulls, are the Brisbane-based Queensland representative cricket team in Australia's domestic cricket tournaments:*Sheffield Shield, 4-day matches with first-class status, since the 1926/27 season...
, when they needed two more wickets to win, and losing to Victoria
Victorian Bushrangers
The Victorian cricket team, nicknamed the Bushrangers, is an Australian cricket team based in Melbourne, that represents the state of Victoria. It is administered by Cricket Victoria and draws its players from Melbourne's Premier Cricket competition...
by 32 runs after a run-chase. As a result the bookies
Bookmaker
A bookmaker, or bookie, is an organization or a person that takes bets on sporting and other events at agreed upon odds.- Range of events :...
reduced the odds of their winning the Ashes
The Ashes
The Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia. It is one of the most celebrated rivalries in international cricket and dates back to 1882. It is currently played biennially, alternately in the United Kingdom and Australia. Cricket being a summer sport, and the venues...
from 7/2 to evens. England survived the follow on to draw the First Test and made 558 in the Second, both drawn. At Sydney in the Third Test England rattled up 488 and won by an innings and 93 runs to give them a 1–0 lead in the series. It was Australia's biggest defeat at home for nearly 50 years, but the home team fought back to win the Fourth Test by an innings and retained the Ashes
The Ashes
The Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia. It is one of the most celebrated rivalries in international cricket and dates back to 1882. It is currently played biennially, alternately in the United Kingdom and Australia. Cricket being a summer sport, and the venues...
. Rain ruined play in New Zealand and the three Test series was drawn 0-0 despite the home team suffering at the hands of the England bowlers. On his return to England Smith was dropped after losing the First Test against the West Indies in 1966
West Indian cricket team in England in 1966
The West Indies cricket team toured England in the 1966 season to play a five-match Test series against England. West Indies won the series 3-1 with one match drawn....
by an innings. He was replaced by Cowdrey and retired at the end of the following season.
Captaincy Style and Popularity
...he strolled in with an open-necked shirt, a white linen jacket which appeared to have been slept in for a week and a carry-cot containing a slumbering junior member of the Smith dynasty. Apparently Mrs Smith had gone shopping and M.J.K. was left holding the baby. Despite an Oxford education his accent was utterly classless and between questions to which he appeared to be paying no attention whatever, he applied himself to solving the crossword in the latest TimesTimesThe Times is a UK daily newspaper, the original English language newspaper titled "Times". Times may also refer to:In newspapers:*The Times , went defunct in 2005*The Times *The Times of Northwest Indiana...
to arrive from Britain. "Good heavens", growled one of Australia's senior cricket correspondents, "what have we here?" What we all had on that tour was the affable companionship of one of the most popular England captains ever to tour anywhere. It never occurred to him to leave the baby, let alone his wife, at home while he led the fight for the AshesThe AshesThe Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia. It is one of the most celebrated rivalries in international cricket and dates back to 1882. It is currently played biennially, alternately in the United Kingdom and Australia. Cricket being a summer sport, and the venues...
.
- Ian Wooldridge
Unlike his predecessors Len Hutton
Len Hutton
Sir Leonard "Len" Hutton was an English Test cricketer, who played for Yorkshire County Cricket Club and England in the years around the Second World War as an opening batsman. He was described by Wisden Cricketer's Almanack as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket...
, Peter May
Peter May
-External links:* * at Cricket Archive*...
and Ted Dexter
Ted Dexter
Edward Ralph Dexter CBE is a former English cricketer...
Smith rode '...the side with a loose rein, believing it knew where it was going and need only an occasional tug to keep it on the right course. I think most players appreciated this and his openness as a person brought a better response on the field.' He thought that any bowler good enough to played for England knew what field suited him best and generally let his men play in their own style, though this resulted in slow over rates as he did not chivvy them along. Even the truculent fast bowler John Snow
John Snow (cricketer)
John Augustine Snow played cricket for Sussex and England in the 1960s and 1970s. Despite being the son of a country vicar and publishing two volumes of poetry Snow was England's most formidable fast bowler between Fred Trueman and Bob Willis and played Test Matches with both of them at either end...
'...thought he was very astute in his handling of players...' and recalled '...Mike Smith adding a few words of congratulations in his thoroughly open, absent-minded-professor sort of way'. E.W. Swanton reported that 'Smith, though outwardly unconventional and in manner casual to a degree, succeeds as a captain for the conventional reasons. He is thoughtful for his players, unselfish, does not 'fuss' them or panic, shows a grasp of the situation which they deem in general sensible and not least gives an inspiring personal lead in the field'.
Later Career
Smith returned to Warwickshire in 1970 and did well enough to be recalled against Australia in 1972 before finally retiring in 1975. In recent years he has been chairman of Warwickshire County Cricket Club (1991–2003) and an ICC match refereeMatch referee
A match referee is an official appointed to oversee professional cricket matches. Match referees for Test matches and One Day Internationals are appointed by the International Cricket Council...
(1991–1996). His son Neil Smith followed in his footsteps by captaining Warwickshire and playing, albeit only in One Day Internationals, for England.