Ian Smith (New Zealand cricketer)

Ian David Stockley Smith (born 28 February 1957) is a New Zealand cricket commentator and former cricketer. He played as a wicket-keeper for New Zealand throughout the 1980s and part of the 1990s.
Early life.
Ian Smith was born in Nelson, New Zealand to a family of keen golfers. He moved to Wanganui at the age of one year and then moved to Wellington at the age of eight years. It was in Wellington where Ian Smith first played cricket at the Miramar Park Cricket Club where he was an off spinner who batted a bit. He made the Wellington Primary Schools' team and then North Island Primary Schools' team. He also played and captained the North Island under 12 soccer team in 1969. In his later high school years he moved to Palmerston North and concentrated on being a wicket keeper. In 1978, he was invited to play as a substitute fielder for New Zealand in their test match against Pakistan in Napier and was delighted to be paid $100 for it as well. Unfortunately, his car broke down after the game was over and the repairs cost $99.95
Domestic career.
Ian Smith first played for Central Districts in 1978 against the touring English team. In his fourth game for Central Districts against Canterbury, he was knocked unconscious by a short delivery bowled by Richard Hadlee. Smith went off injured but returned the following day to make 60 runs. He had a particularly good season batting in 1982/3 for Central Districts, scoring three centuries (145 against Auckland, 111 and 143 against Northern Districts).
International career.
Ian Smith first was first selected to play for New Zealand in 1980 on their Australian tour after having played for the Young New Zealand team. His first game for New Zealand was against a Victorian Country XI. He was not included in the test eleven for the first test in Brisbane at the 'Gabba but when Warren Lees failed a fitness test on the first morning, Smith was elevated into the test team.
Smith has one of the highest ever strike rates as a batsman for One Day Internationals – 99 runs per 100 balls faced. He also holds the record for the highest score in Tests for a batsman coming in at number nine, which is 173 off 136 balls, scored against India at Eden Park in 1990. During the innings, he became joint holder of the record for most runs scored off a six-ball Test over, striking 24 runs off Atul Wassan.
After cricket.
After Smith retired from cricket, he worked in the banking industry before moving into broadcasting. He worked as a radio announcer on Radio Live SPORT as a breakfast host and is also a commentator for SKY Sport (in New Zealand, commentating on both rugby union and cricket). As a cricket commentator he has also worked on television commentary at numerous ICC tournaments including the World Twenty20 and Cricket World Cup calling the crucial final ball as England tied with New Zealand in the final at Lords. Smith’s description of England winning the World Cup “by the barest of margins, the barest of all margins” has become iconic in English cricket. He has also appeared as a guest commentator on Sky Sports and Test Match Special in the UK during New Zealand tours of England.
Smith took an active role in presenting the Rugby World Cup on Sky in New Zealand.
In April 2020, Smith won New Zealand Cricket's most prestigious award the Bert Sutcliffe Medal for Outstanding Contribution to Cricket.
His son Jarrod Smith is a football player who has appeared for the New Zealand national team.
Honours and awards.
In the 1994 New Year Honours, Smith was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire, for services to cricket. In April 2020, he was awarded the Bert Sutcliffe Medal by New Zealand Cricket for outstanding services to cricket.