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Watch: Steve Smith retired hurt after Jofra Archer's brutal bouncer at Lord's
Steve Smith was forced to retire hurt after his titanic tussle with Jofra Archer ended with a sickening blow to the neck, bravely returning to crease only to be dismissed for 92 on day four of the second Ashes Test.
The Australia batsman was on 80 not out, his latest epic knock of the series, when England debutant Archer dug one in at 92.4mph and struck him underneath the protective helmet as Smith turned his head.
Smith, who had already received treatment for a nasty blow on the left forearm and fended off a lightning fast 96.1mph ball aimed at his ribs, hit the deck immediately and remained on the floor for an extended period before stumbling to his feet.
Members of both teams' medical staff attended to him and the 30-year-old was eventually persuaded to leave the pitch, despite being seemingly reluctant to do so.
Smith was applauded from the field, with his side 55 behind on 203 for six.
😲 England going for the throat at Lord's.
— Sporting Life (@SportingLife) August 17, 2019
Steve Smith is 80 not out, but he's retired hurt for now.pic.twitter.com/ESVy26pbax
While most people were expecting Test cricket's first ever concussion substitute to appear, Smith surprised everybody by retaking the field as soon as tailender Peter Siddle fell to Chris Woakes.
Even more remarkably he hit his first two balls for four, clubbing Woakes to wide long-on then easing into a backfoot cover drive. He was eight short of what would have been a remarkable century when he completely misread a Woakes delivery, a highly unusual error, and was plumb lbw.
Smith appeared to walk off at the same time as signalling for DRS to hint at a further clouding of his judgement.
That left Australia 234 for eight, 24 short of England's first-innings score.
The passage of play midway through the afternoon session had been impossibly tense, with the state of the game relegated to secondary status as Smith and Archer, recent team-mates at Rajasthan Royals, went head to head.
Smith, who occupied the crease for 11 hours during his match-winning twin centuries at Edgbaston, had already chewed through another 143 deliveries to frustrate England when Archer cranked things up to the next level.
Bowling fast and straight with the old ball he drew a rare misjudgement from Smith, who ducked into a short one and sustained a heavy blow to the left forearm.
He winced in pain and shook his head, stopping to receive treatment as physios massaged the bruising and supplied painkillers.
An over of left-arm spin provided the buffer before Archer went again, testing Smith with a series of precise bumpers aimed at the body and each comfortably above the 90mph threshold.
Smith took on the first and top-edged a hook straight over the wicketkeeper for four, then mis-hit the second to fine leg, having again taken the aggressive option.
The last ball of the over, Archer's 25th of the innings, was the most remarkable yet, clocking in at a quite incredible 96.1mph - surely the fastest recorded delivery by an English bowler in a generation.
It was also accurate, zoning in on Smith's rib cage, only to be expertly guided downwards in the direction of short leg while not offering a hint of a catch.
👍 Jofra Archer's strategy to shake up Steve Smith clearly did the trick.
— Sporting Life (@SportingLife) August 17, 2019
😰 He returned to the crease, scored just 12 more runs, then looked like a 3rd XI tailender for this delivery...pic.twitter.com/sijeOiSdIW
Smith took the upper hand momentarily at the start of the fateful 77th over, swivelling to pull Archer for four and paving the way for a decisive reply.
Once again Archer went short and, although Smith shaped to duck, he got himself into an awkward position, eventually turning his head as the Dukes ball reared up under the protected area and crashed into the lower part of the neck.
Smith's limp tumble to the turf could not help but conjure chilling reminders of his late team-mate Phil Hughes, who died five years ago after being hit by a bouncer while batting for South Australia.
Thankfully Smith was eventually able to get up, even appearing to argue his case for remaining in position.
Once replays showed the extent of the contact, and with Archer ready and willing to send down more of the same, that was never a likely option and he was led to the pavilion to sounds of applause.
Rather less impressively there were audible boos when he returned to the middle after 54 balls away, Woakes taking Siddle's edge.
His innings, however, didn't last much longer.
Day four reaction
Australia coach Justin Langer admitted the ferocious blow to the neck which felled Steve Smith at Lord's brought back "rough memories" for his side but lauded the batsman's courage after he insisted on returning to the crease.
It was only five years ago that Smith's friend and team-mate Phil Hughes died after being hit on the neck by a bouncer during a Sheffield Shield game in Sydney, a harrowing incident for the whole of Australian cricket, not least current team members Nathan Lyon, Travis Head and David Warner, who played in the match.
Happily Smith was able to get up, retiring hurt but returning to action 40 minutes later before being dismissed for 92.
"You never like seeing your players get hit like that, no doubt, there's obviously some pretty rough memories of a blow like that so...there was no fun in it," said Langer, who also predicted that optional 'stem guards' on helmets might now become obligatory.
"Today was an ugly incident. I know (the extra protection) came in after the tragedy of Hughesy so I'm sure that will get talked about. At the moment, the players have a choice and I wouldn't be surprised if they become mandatory in the future.
"Thankfully Steve has come through okay. He got another 92 today, what an innings, what a player and what great courage as well, that he came back out."
There was widespread surprise that Smith opted to return to the middle when Peter Siddle was dismissed, but Cricket Australia allowed him to make the decision after he passed all on and off-field testing under the watch of team doctor Richard Saw.
Langer would have stepped in had he felt Smith was in danger of further serious injury but instead found himself marvelling at the player's desperation to get back out in pursuit of a Lord's hundred.
"These guys are like my sons, alright. You're never going to put them in harm's way. He was going 'mate, I just want to get out there. I can't get up on the honours board unless I'm out batting'.
"He was determined but he wouldn't have gone out there unless we thought it was OK. I asked him privately, I asked him behind closed doors, I asked him in front of the group."
Chris Woakes was the man who eventually dismissed a shaken Smith for 92, winning an unusually soft lbw.
He was in in awe of Archer's efforts in weakening Smith's control as he moved towards what would have been a third successive Ashes century.
"You want Ashes cricket played hard and tough but you don't wish injury on anyone, regardless of the situation of the game," said Woakes.
"It took a serious spell of bowling from Jofra to get Steve out of his bubble because so far this series he's been incredible. It was incredible to watch and thankfully, having seen Steve on the balcony, he seems OK. For him to come out having been hit the way he was does show some courage and character."
Woakes said Archer's bowling was the quickest spell he had witnessed on a cricket field.
"You see quick bowling around the world but that was a prolonged spell of fast bowling," he said.
"You could tell it was special, the crowd were certainly behind every ball. It was pretty special to be a part of. I haven't been on the field when someone has bowled that fast consistently."
Talking Point: Smith returning too soon?
We look at how and why Steve Smith was allowed to complete his innings shortly after retiring hurt.
How was Smith assessed after being hit?
Team doctor Richard Saw oversaw a brief medical examination as Smith lay flat out, then went on to initiate a series of questions based on the Maddocks Test principles. The kind of questions Smith will have been asked included 'what venue are we playing at?', 'who bowled the ball?', 'who was the last man out?' and 'where did it hit you?'. Saw made the precautionary decision to advise Smith to leave the pitch.
Did Smith agree with that?
Cricket Australia's policies allow the doctor to withdraw a player without their agreement. Smith informed the medical staff he felt ready to continue but they came to a joint decision that he would retire hurt.
What happened next?
Smith underwent two further tests after leaving the pitch. The first is known as SCAT5 (sport concussion assessment tool) and is a non-computerised set of protocols.
The second, as mandated by CA, is known as a cogsport assessment. This is a computerised test comparing responses against a baseline recorded by the individual during the off-season. Smith's basic balance was also checked.
Who decided Smith would return to bat?
Having come through the testing with no red flags, it was essentially Smith's decision and the medical staff did not stand in his way. Captain Tim Paine spoke to him during the interim period.
Why did he not wear a neck guard, either before or after the incident?
Additional protective 'stem guards' became more widely used after the death of Australia batsman Phil Hughes in 2014 following a blow to the head. At present there is no British or international standard for neck protection and while they are strongly recommended there is no mandatory requirement. Smith has tried wearing one in the past and does not feel comfortable.
Why did Smith not field?
Surprisingly the reason he was replaced by Marnus Labuschagne after tea was not to do with his neck. He was taken to hospital for a precautionary X-ray on his forearm having been hit there by Archer earlier in the same spell.
What are the next moves?
Smith will be subject to ongoing assessment and treatment. International Cricket Council rules allow for concussion substitutes to be made up to 36 hours after the injury.