Veteran Australian batter Steve Smith scored his 37th hundred at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) against England in the fifth and final Test of the ongoing Ashes 2025-26. Leading the team, he made 138 runs off 220 balls as Australia responded with 567 to England’s first innings total of 384.

Australia resumed their first innings on Day 4 at 518-7, with Smith on 129 and Beau Webster on 42. His long stay at the crease ended with a special delivery from Josh Tongue. Smith was caught behind off a fuller-length ball that angled in and moved away slightly. His innings lasted 332 minutes and included 16 fours and a six.

With this hundred at the SCG, Smith moved to second place on the list of batters with the most hundreds in the Ashes. Let’s take a look at the top five batters with the most centuries in the England vs Australia Test rivalry.

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5. Wally Hammond & David Gower (9)
The England duo of Wally Hammond and David Gower scored nine hundreds each in the Ashes. Hammond played 33 Tests against Australia, scoring 2,852 runs at an average of 51.85, with nine hundreds and seven fifties. Gower played 38 Ashes Tests and scored 3,037 runs at an average of 46.01, with nine hundreds and several fifties.

Hammond’s best Ashes score was 251 in Sydney in December 1928. He also scored 240 at Lord’s in June 1938 and 231* in Sydney in December 1936. Gower’s highest score against Australia was 215 in Birmingham in August 1985. He also scored 166 in Nottingham (July 1985) and 157 at The Oval (August 1985). Gower made 732 runs in nine innings in the 1985 Ashes.

4. Steve Waugh (10)
Former Australian captain Steve Waugh is fourth on the list with 10 hundreds. In 45 Tests against England, he scored 3,173 runs at an average of 58.75, with 10 hundreds and 14 fifties. Waugh’s best Ashes score was 177* in Leeds in June 1989. The 242-ball innings lasted 310 minutes and included 24 fours.

Waugh famously scored 157* at The Oval in August 2001 while batting with a severe calf injury. He also scored 157* in Leeds in July 1993. In the 1989 Ashes, he scored 506 runs in eight innings at an average of 126.50.

3. Jack Hobbs (12)
England legend Jack Hobbs is third on the list with 12 hundreds in 41 matches. He scored 3,636 runs at an average of 54.26, including 15 fifties. Hobbs’ highest score against Australia was 187 in Adelaide in January 1912. The innings lasted 334 minutes and had 15 fours.

He also scored 178 in Melbourne in February 1912, 154 in Melbourne in January 1925, and 142 in Melbourne in March 1929. Hobbs scored 662 runs in nine innings in the 1911-12 Ashes, 505 runs in 1920-21, and 573 in 1924-25.

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2. Steve Smith (13)
With his hundred at the SCG, Steve Smith moved to second place with 13 Ashes hundreds. In 41 matches, he has scored 3,691 runs at an average of 56.78, with 14 fifties. His highest Ashes score is 239 at the WACA in Perth in December 2017, which lasted 578 minutes.

Smith also scored 215 at Lord’s in July 2015 and 211 in Manchester in September 2019. In the 2019 Ashes, he scored 774 runs in seven innings at an average of 110.57, with three hundreds. In 2017-18, he scored 687 runs at an average of 137.40, also hitting three hundreds in the series.

1. Don Bradman (19)
Aussie legend Don Bradman tops the list with 19 hundreds in 37 Ashes matches. He scored 5,028 runs at an average of 89.78, with 12 fifties. His highest score against England was 334 in Leeds in July 1930. The innings lasted 383 minutes and included 46 fours.

Bradman also scored 304 in Leeds in July 1934, 270 in Melbourne in 1937, and 254 at Lord’s in June 1930. He made 974 runs in seven innings in the 1930 Ashes, averaging 139.14, with four hundreds. In 1936-37, he scored 810 runs and 758 in the 1934 series.

SA20 announced a star-studded commentary panel on Tuesday, December 9, for the upcoming fourth edition of the league. The panel features some of the most popular voices in world cricket, including South African legends AB de Villiers and Dale Steyn, England’s World Cup-winning captain Eoin Morgan, and South Africa-born superstar Kevin Pietersen. Morgan, who played in the first season of SA20, is now a regular expert with Sky Sports and will bring a fresh voice to the fast-growing T20 league in the rainbow nation.

Steyn, who was part of Sunrisers Eastern Cape’s support staff, will now move to the commentary box. He will join his former teammate and global fan favourite AB de Villiers, the brand ambassador of the tournament. The South African lineup in the commentary team is also very strong, with JP Duminy, Ashwell Prince, Chris Morris, and Vernon Philander joining the group.

Along with them, several respected global commentators will also be part of the panel. This includes Mark Nicholas, Mpumelelo Mbangwa, Kass Naido, Natalie Germanos, Mark Butcher, Nikhil Uttamchandani, Lesego Pooe, Motshidisi Mohono, and Kriya Gangiah, who will all lend their voices behind the mic.

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AB de Villiers and Mark Butcher will again be among the stellar cast of @SuperSportTV commentary and presenting team for #BetwaySA20 Season 4 🎙️

Read more 🔗 https://t.co/C338vW72Gj

— Betway SA20 (@SA20_League) December 10, 2025

SA20 2025-26: Teams and Key Players Ahead of the Season

The 2025-26 edition of SA20 is set to kick off on Boxing Day, with defending champions MI Cape Town facing Durban’s Super Giants in the opening match at Newlands. MI Cape Town retained most of their core squad, except for Dewald Brevis and Delano Potgieter.

The Pretoria Capitals have rebuilt their team from scratch, signing players like Brevis, Keshav Maharaj, and Lungi Ngidi, while adding Andre Russell, Sherfan Rutherford, and Jordan Cox as part of their overseas lineup.

The Super Giants will have a new captain, Aiden Markram, along with star players Jos Buttler, Heinrich Klaasen, Noor Ahmad, and Sunil Narine in their squad. Johannesburg Super Kings strengthened their all-round options with Wiaan Mulder, while Paarl Royals added Sikandar Raza, Delano Potgieter, Kyle Verreynne, and Dan Lawrence to boost their batting depth.

David Gower was one of the finest batters to have played for England. Now 68 years old, he is gradually moving on from cricket and is auctioning his cricketing possessions online. He was recently seen at Old Trafford, watching another closely contested Test between England and India.

In the current Test series between England and India, all the experts are talking about Virat Kohli. Many are remembering his heroic performances during the 2021 Test series. Meanwhile, Gower praised Kohli and his strong commitment to the longest format of the game.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with The Times of India, the English legend said, "It’s the most beautiful animal you’ll come across anywhere. And when people realised it was heading toward extinction, Project Tiger gave it a lifeline. I see Test cricket in a very similar way. I love it when Virat Kohli says Test cricket is the most important thing in his life and career, because that’s like 1.4 billion votes for Tests—if everyone in India follows his example."

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Test Cricket's Survival Depends on England, India & Australia

"That is a major fault in the way world cricket is being managed. It shows who has the money and who has the power. I love the way New Zealand play their cricket, and how they’ve taken Test matches to smaller, beautiful grounds and made it look attractive. South Africa doesn’t seem to care about Test cricket anymore, because the only thing that makes money for them is the SA20 league. I use the tiger as an example—the tiger was once in danger of extinction," Gower added.

David Gower said - "I love it when Virat Kohli says Test Cricket is the most important thing in his life, in his career, because that is 1.4 billion votes for Tests if everyone in India follows his work". (TOI). pic.twitter.com/haDtrv5h3S

— Tanuj (@ImTanujSingh) August 1, 2025

David Gower’s Glorious Test Career at a Glance

One of England’s most elegant batters, David Gower scored 8,231 runs in 117 Tests at an average of 44.25, including 18 centuries. In 1985, he enjoyed a "golden season," scoring 732 runs at an average of 81.33 and leading England to a 3-1 Ashes victory. At Edgbaston on 15 August, Gower scored a career-best 215 from 314 balls, and followed it up with 157 at The Oval. In 2009, he was inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame.

Former England captain David Gower said that he has been a fan of India’s KL Rahul for a long time because Rahul scores his runs in a very pleasing way.

Gower made this comment during the fourth Test between India and England in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. Rahul played a solid knock of 46 runs from 98 balls in the first innings, taking his total runs in the series to 421. He now averages 60.14 in the series, with two centuries and one fifty so far.

In a recent interview with PTI, the former England batter said, "I've been a fan of KL's for a long time. He's easy on the eye and very organised. He has time. We always say, throughout the history of the game, if someone seems to have time to play their shots — whether attacking or defensive — it's a sign of a good player. So yes, I’m a Rahul fan because he scores his runs in a very pleasing way," he added.

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Gower Sympathises with Rishabh Pant

Former England captain David Gower shared his sympathy for wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant, who fractured his foot while batting on the first day of the Test.

“I’m really sorry that he’s injured. If this foot injury is serious and he is out of the series, it’s a big loss,” Gower said. “He is a player who does things others can only dream of. Some call them nightmares, but he is a brilliant and extraordinary player to watch. You cannot copy what he does. You can’t ask a young 15 or 16-year-old to bat like Rishabh Pant — that could be harmful to their career."

He added, “When someone like Pant plays such an amazing and unique style of cricket, you can only admire it. He takes the word ‘incredible’ to another level.”

ENGLAND LEGEND DAVID GOWER ON KL RAHUL. [Bharat Sharma from PTI]

"I've been a fan of KL's for a long time. He's easy on the eye, very organised. He's got time. We always say throughout the history of the game, if someone seems to have time to play their shots, whether attacking… pic.twitter.com/TKioDWSwQw

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) July 26, 2025

Gower Calls on BCCI to Protect Test Cricket

Gower also urged the BCCI — the richest cricket board — to take steps to keep Test cricket in good shape, along with other major boards.

“It takes the powerful boards, and we know BCCI has huge power and influence. But if they can join hands with the ECB and Cricket Australia, and even with smaller boards like New Zealand and the West Indies, then Test cricket can be protected,” he said.

“With good planning, smart ideas, and teamwork, there is still enough time to enjoy both white-ball and red-ball cricket,” Gower added.