Will Smeed
{{short description|English cricketer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{Infobox cricketer
| name = Will Smeed
| image =
| fullname = William Conrad Francis Smeed
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2001|10|26|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England
| batting = Right-handed
| bowling = Right-arm off break
| role = Batsman
| club1 = Somerset
| year1 = {{nowrap|2020–present}}
| clubnumber1 = 23
| club2 = Birmingham Phoenix
| year2 = 2021–present
| club3 = Quetta Gladiators
| year3 = 2022–2024
| club4 = St Kitts & Nevis Patriots
| year4 = 2023
| club5 = MI Emirates
| year5 = 2024
| club6 = Pretoria Capitals
| year6 = 2024/25
| type1 = List A
| onetype1 = true
| debutdate1 = 14 July
| debutyear1 = 2022
| debutfor1 =
England Lions
| debutagainst1 = South Africa
| type2 = Twenty20
| debutdate2 = 11 September
| debutyear2 = 2020
| debutfor2 = Somerset
| debutagainst2 = Worcestershire
| columns = 2
| hidedeliveries = true
| column1 = LA
| matches1 = 1
| runs1 = 0
| bat avg1 = 0.00
| 100s/50s1 = 0/0
| top score1 = 0
| catches/stumpings1 = 0/–
| column2 = T20
| matches2 = 113
| runs2 = 2,925
| bat avg2 = 27.59
| 100s/50s2 = 1/21
| top score2 = 101*
| catches/stumpings2 = 53/–
| date = 20 June 2025
| source = http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/1099224.html Cricinfo
}}
William Conrad Francis Smeed (born 26 October 2001) is an English cricketer.{{Cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/1099224.html |title=Will Smeed |work=ESPN Cricinfo |accessdate=11 September 2020 }} He made his Twenty20 debut on 11 September 2020, for Somerset in the 2020 T20 Blast.{{cite web |url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/1207743.html |title=Central Group (N), Taunton, Sep 11 2020, Vitality Blast |access-date=11 September 2020 |work=ESPN Cricinfo}}
On 10 August 2022 he became the first player to score a century in The Hundred (101* from 50 balls) for Birmingham Phoenix vs Southern Brave.{{Cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/cricket/england-birmingham-somerset-phoenix-pakistan-b2143853.html|title=Hundred history-maker Will Smeed has 'aspirations in all three formats' |work=The Independent|date=12 August 2022|access-date=12 August 2022}}
Biography
Smeed was a prep school pupil at Millfield School and played rugby, football, hockey, tennis and competed in the hurdles, as well as playing cricket. From ages 13 to 18 Smeed was educated at independent school King's College, Taunton in Somerset, where he was a part of their cricket programme. He studied maths, further maths, chemistry and physics to A Level, achieving an A* in each subject.{{cite web |title=A Level Results 2020 |url=https://www.kings-taunton.co.uk/latest-news-and-events/a-level-results-2020 |website=King's College, Taunton}} He is studying an undergraduate Open University degree in maths and economics.{{cite web|url=https://www.thecricketer.com/Topics/features/will_smeed_interview_somerset_cricket_teenager_wiser_than_years.html |title=Meet Will Smeed, the Somerset teenager wiser than his years |work=The Cricketer |access-date=3 April 2021}}
In April 2022, he was bought by the Birmingham Phoenix for the 2022 season of The Hundred.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/60477088 |title=The Hundred 2022: latest squads as Draft picks revealed |work=BBC Sport |access-date=5 April 2022}} He made his List A debut on 14 July 2022, for the England Lions during South Africa's tour of England.{{cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/1311523.html |title=Tour Match, Worcester, July 14, 2022, South Africa tour of England |work=ESPN Cricinfo |access-date=15 July 2022}}
In November 2022, Smeed announced he was to give up red ball cricket to focus solely on the shorter forms of the game.{{Cite news |title=Somerset batter Smeed signs white-ball only deal |language=en-GB |work=BBC Sport |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/63626151 |access-date=2023-04-12}} Coming at such an early stage of his career, at the age of 21, some have seen the decision as being indicative of the decline of red ball cricket. Barney Ronay, in The Guardian, noted that Smeed “…who will make a wonderful living from being able to polo mallet sixes into the stands, has retired from red ball cricket having never played a game of red ball cricket, because, frankly, only one of these things looks like the future.”{{Cite news |last=Ronay |first=Barney |date=2023-04-08 |title=The Indian Premier League is a brilliant thing – but is killing Test cricket |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2023/apr/08/the-indian-premier-league-is-a-brilliant-thing-but-is-killing-test-cricket |access-date=2023-04-12 |issn=0261-3077}} In March 2025, Smeed reversed his decision and signed a new all-formats contract with Somerset.{{cite web |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/will-smeed-signs-deal-red-ball-cricket-somerset-1476272 |title=Will Smeed signs new deal to play red-ball cricket for Somerset |work=ESPN Cricinfo |date=7 March 2025 |access-date=8 March 2025 }}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{cricinfo|id=1099224}}
{{Somerset County Cricket Club squad}}
{{Birmingham Phoenix squad}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smeed, Will}}
Category:Cricketers from Cambridge
Category:People from Glastonbury
Category:People educated at King's College, Taunton
Category:Birmingham Phoenix cricketers
Category:Quetta Gladiators cricketers
Category:St Kitts and Nevis Patriots cricketers
Category:Pretoria Capitals cricketers
Category:People educated at Millfield Preparatory School
Category:21st-century English sportsmen
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