Steve Smith - 10th Anniversary of a remarkable season

Sutherland District Cricket Club | April 28, 2025

2014-15 SEASON TIMELINE

Steve Smith had a remarkable season in 2014-15, stretching from the tour of UAE that involved internationals in all three formats against Pakistan in October 2014 to the 2 Test tour of West Indies in June 2015.

Tour of UAE 

5 Oct – Only T20I vs Pakistan – Dubai – 3

7 Oct – 1st ODI vs Pakistan – Sharjah – 101 – Player of the Match

10 Oct – 2nd ODI vs Pakistan – Dubai – 12

12 Oct – 3rd ODI vs Pakistan – Abu Dhabi – 77 – Player of the Series

15-18 Oct – Tour match vs Pakistan A – 58

22-26 Oct – 1st Test vs Pakistan in Dubai – 22 & 55

30 Oct-4 Nov – 2nd Test vs Pakistan in Abu Dhabi – 0 & 97

 

South Africa in Australia 

16 Nov – 2nd ODI vs South Africa – WACA – 10

19 Nov – 3rd ODI vs South Africa – Manuka – 73* – Player of the Match

21 Nov – 4th ODI vs South Africa – MCG – 104 – Player of the Match

23 Nov – 5th ODI vs South Africa – SCG – 67 – Player of the Series

 

India in Australia 

9-13 Dec – 1st Test vs India – Adelaide – 162* & 52*

 

15 Dec – Named as 45th Australian Test Captain (first Sutherland local junior to captain Australia)

 

17-20 Dec – 2nd Test vs India – Gabba – 133 & 28 – Player of the Match

·       First Australian captain to score a century in his first match as Test captain since Graham Yallop scored 102 in the second innings of the 1st Test vs England in 1978-79.

 

26-30 Dec – 3rd Test vs India – MCG – 192 & 14

·       First Australian captain to score centuries in first two Tests as captain.

·        Scored 353 runs in first three innings as Test captain – most by an Australian Test captain.

·       First Australian since Matthew Hayden in 2007-08 to score centuries in three successive Tests (in the last Test before this series against Pakistan in the UAE, he scored 97).

·       Completed set of Test centuries at all five mainland Test venues in 25th Test – only Mike Hussey has done it quicker, in his 20th Test.

 

6-10 Jan – 4th Test vs India – SCG – 117 & 71 – Player of the Match & Player of the Series

·        Fifth Australian to score four centuries in successive Tests.

·       Second player in Test history to score centuries in first three Tests as captain, after Alastair Cook.

·       Second player in Test history to score centuries in each match of a four Test series, after Jacques Kallis in 2002-03.

·       Aggregate of 769 runs is the most ever in a 4 Test series.

 

Tri-Series with England & India 

16 Jan – ODI vs England – SCG – 37

18 Jan – ODI vs India – MCG – 47

20 Jan – Named as 22nd Australian ODI Captain

23 Jan – ODI vs England – Bellerive – 102* – Player of the Match

·       Second Australian after Mike Hussey in 2006-07 to score century on debut as ODI captain

·        First player for any country to score century on debut as Test captain and on debut as ODI captain

26 Jan – ODI vs India – SCG – DNB (match washed out after 16 overs)

1 Feb – ODI vs England (Tri-Series final) – 40

 

27 Jan – Won Allan Border Medal, Test Player of the Year and One Day International Player of the Year

·       Only the third time that a player has won all three major awards in the one year (after Ricky Ponting in 2007 and Shane Watson in 2011).

 

ICC World Cup 

14 Feb – ODI vs England – MCG – 5

28 Feb – ODI vs New Zealand – Auckland – 4

4 Mar – ODI vs Afghanistan – WACA – 95

8 Mar – ODI vs Sri Lanka – SCG – 72

14 Mar – ODI vs Scotland – Bellerive – DNB

20 Mar – ODI vs Pakistan (quarter-final) – Adelaide – 65

26 Mar – ODI vs India (semi-final) – SCG – 105 – Player of the Match

29 Mar – ODI vs New Zealand (final) – MCG – 56*

·       Hit winning runs with fellow SDCC player Shane Watson at the other end.

·       Leading Australian run-scorer in World Cup with 402 runs at 67.00.

·       Named in ICC Team of the World Cup.

 

Tour of West Indies 

3-5 Jun – 1st Test vs West Indies – Roseau – 25 & 5*

11-14 Jun – 2nd Test vs West Indies – Sabina Park – 199 & 54* – Player of the Match

15 Jun – Named as world’s best Test batsman in ICC rankings.

 

In summary, between 5.10.2014 and 14.6.2015, Steve played:

8 Tests, scoring 1226 runs at an average of 102.16, with 5 centuries and 5 half centuries – he won 3 Player of the Match Awards & 1 Player of the Series Award.

20 One Day Internationals, scoring 1072 runs at an average of 71.47, with 4 centuries and 7 half centuries – he won 5 Player of the Match Awards and 2 Player of the Series Awards.