By Zainab Shafiq 
Star Australian batsman Steve Smith made his debut in County Cricket for Sussex against Worcestershire at New Road on Friday, May 5. Unfortunately, Smith’s innings was interrupted after just eight balls due to a non-compliant helmet that didn’t meet the standards mandated by the ECC for the County Championship.
The helmet didn’t have a neck protector, which is a requirement as per Appendix A2.3 of the County Championship Playing Conditions. Play was halted until a neck protector was fitted, and Smith was able to continue his innings.
Despite the early setback, Smith went on to score a crucial 30 off 57 balls with the help of five boundaries. He partnered with captain Cheteshwar Pujara to add 61 runs for the fourth wicket, rescuing Sussex from a difficult position. However, Smith was eventually dismissed by Josh Tongue during the first session on Day 2.
After Smith’s dismissal, Pujara continued his innings and scored a half-century. He also got involved in another fifty-plus stand with Oli Carter to take his team’s total past 200 with five wickets down. Earlier in the game, Sussex won the toss and invited Worcestershire to bat first on Day 1. Ollie Robinson was the star performer with the ball, claiming 7/59 in his 17-over spell as Worcestershire could only manage to score 264 runs in the first innings.
It was a mixed debut for Steve Smith, with the helmet incident causing a brief interruption to his innings. However, he was able to bounce back and contribute crucial runs for his team, demonstrating his value as a world-class batsman.
News Editor 
Anas Ahmed