How Did Matthew Potts Expose Steve Smith's Technique In 2nd ODI Vs Australia?

Steve Smith was dismissed by Matthew Potts [X]Steve Smith was dismissed by Matthew Potts [X]

Australia's legendary batter Steve Smith registered a failure with the bat as England's young pacer Matthew Potts dismissed him for four runs in the ongoing second ODI between the two sides at Headingley in Leeds. Coming at number four, Smith opened his account with a boundary. However, the talismanic cricketer couldn't add another run to his tally, with Potts removing him with a beauty. 

How Did Matthew Potts Outfox Steve Smith In 2nd ODI?

The incident occurred during the fourteenth over of Australia's innings when Steve Smith was trying to form a consolidating stand with Mitchell Marsh following the dismissals of Travis Head and Matthew Short. England captain Harry Brook's decision to bring Potts for his fifth over worked wonders for the hosts, as the right-arm pacer got the better of Smith with a dream delivery. 

The young seamer had an ordinary start to the over, conceding five runs, including a boundary, off his first four deliveries. However, he bounced back remarkably, bowling a dot before bamboozling the legendary Steve Smith. 

From over the wicket, Matthew Potts bowled a full-length delivery that nipped back sharply into Smith after pitching slightly outside the off stump. As the batter went for an expansive drive down the ground, the ball sneaked through the gap between his bat and pad, uprooting his off stump. 


Why Did Steve Smith Fail To Execute The Straight Drive?

Steve Smith's decision to play across the line led to his dismissal [X]Steve Smith's decision to play across the line led to his dismissal [X]

Despite being a prolific batter for his side, Steve Smith made a casual error in his judgement, failing to read the length properly. It wasn't exactly a half-volley from Potts, so Smith's decision to commit early and drive the ball off his front foot brought disastrous consequences for him. 

Potts hit the ideal length (slightly fuller than the good length), drawing Smith onto a false shot. Furthermore, Steve Smith went too far across the line, making it extremely tough for him to bring his bat down in the direction of the ball. His front foot went across the line, giving rise to a massive gap between his bat and pad. This further allowed the nip-backer to sneak through the gap and shatter the stumps.