Steve Smith averaging 126 in Major League Cricket as Chris Lynn locks in full Big Bash return

The cricket fields of North Carolina are proving the perfect place for Steve Smith to make a big point to national selectors.

Six sixes from Travis Head as Steve Smith moved his Major League Cricket average to 126 stood out as more evidence why the Big Bash needs Australia’s best batters playing this summer.

As the BBL’s all-time leading run scorer, Chris Lynn, confirmed his full-season return to the Adelaide Strikers, having left at the back-end of the past two seasons to play in the UAE T20 league in late January, Head and Smith showed their huge T20 worth in the US.

The unlikely opening duo, with Smith having been snubbed from the Australian T20 World Cup squad, put on 79 together for the Washington Freedom in just eight overs to propel their team to another win over the Los Angeles Knight Riders.

Another day, another dominant display 👊

Check out more images ➡️ visit https://t.co/ebqLW8qWB8 🔗#MLC2024#FreedomExpress#LAKRvWFpic.twitter.com/I2n8aNq1ox

— Washington Freedom (@WSHFreedom) July 14, 2024

The venue, Morrisville, North Carolina, was a long way from the SCG or Adelaide Oval where Big Bash officials hope they will be able to put on a show for their BBL teams, with Head, who made 54 off 32 balls, yet to commit to the Strikers after a breakthrough Indian Premier League campaign with runners-up Sunrisers Hyderabad this year.

While the back end of January has been opened for Test stars like Head to play in the latter half of the BBL, a two-match series against Sri Lanka, and the need to travel and prepare for it, could yet throw a spanner in the works.

The dates for the two matches are yet to be locked in.

But Smith, who has shown a strong desire to make himself available for the Sydney Sixers whenever possible, should don the magenta at some stage and would do so having found his T20 mojo in the US.

In four innings he’s swatted 126 runs, the second most in the second year of the T20 tournament, having only been dismissed once to give him the three-figure average.

“Smudge (Smith) is doing a great job as a leader and opener, very fortunate to have him,” teammate Glenn Maxwell, who took 3-15 to be man of the match, said of his resurgent skipper.

Get ready for copious crowd catches this summer! 🎺 🙌

Lynny is back for #BBL14! 👉 https://t.co/ZaoGTRuiAO#OurCityOurTeampic.twitter.com/Om1HifP6I7

— Adelaide Strikers (@StrikersBBL) July 14, 2024

Big Bash boss Alastair Dobson said officials had given themselves “every shot” of having the likes of Head and Smith involved, aware the best-laid plans don’t always come together.

“We’ve given ourselves a really good opportunity this year from a scheduling perspective with the window post the SCG Test before our team head off to Sri Lanka for players to play a number of games,” he told cricinfo.

“We’ve given ourselves every shot. That said a five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy series is probably the toughest Test series our players will play in and that’s where their focus is.

“We’ll work with them as that series goes through to understand what they can do and whether they can play some BBL games. We know they want to and we are optimistic we’ll see a number of them back again.”

The inclusion of Lynn, who has more sixes in BBL history than anyone, having slugged 208, for the entire tournament is something of a coup given the lure of competing tournaments in both the UAE and South Africa in January.