Veteran batsman Clay Smith is showing signs that he is rounding into good form with Cup Match just around the corner.

At the weekend the former national team skipper repaid the St. David’s selectors for showing good faith in his batting ability at Lords by carving an unbeaten century (108) from 87 deliveries.

Smith lashed 15 fours and five sixes during 121 minutes’ work at the crease and along with all-rounder Delyone Borden (30) added 118 runs during an unbroken fourth-wicket stand that carried the Islanders to a comfortable seven-wicket Eastern Counties first-round victory over arch-rivals Bailey’s Bay.

Before the match Smith’s selection had ignited fierce debate around the club with many up in arms over the selectors’ decision to go with the seasoned warrior, who has had his share of injury concerns in recent times.

But in typical fashion the veteran right-handed batsman let his bat do all of the talking against a Bay attack lacking the necessary penetration to make serious inroads into the Islanders’ tall batting order.

“Anybody who knows me also knows that stuff like that really motivates me to want to do even better. That was like an added plus to the situation and I had no choice but to perform,” Smith said. “It was probably one of my best knocks ever. It was flawless and I was hitting the ball extremely clean while the wicket over there (at Lords) was just unbelievable. It’s got to be the best wicket by far in Bermuda — it was very easy to bat on that wicket which is first class without a doubt.”

As for the storm prior to the match, Smith acknowledged: “The realistic thing is that St. David’s have an excellent youth programme and there’s no two ways about that. Even before County I had some reservations about going over because of that.

“But having talked to Lionel (St. David’s player/coach Lionel Cann) and a few of the selectors, they were very keen to have me over and so I obliged, basically.”

Smith justified his selection by helping himself to a second Eastern Counties century and now looks forward to trying to retain his spot on a St. George’s Cup Match team bidding for a third straight victory over rivals Somerset.

Smith needs just 14 runs to become only the third batsman in the 105-year history of Cup Match to score 1,000 runs behind elder brother Wendell Smith and St. George’s team-mate Charlie Marshall.

“I guess my form is coming at a good time with Cup Match just around the corner. But I have always been one who believes in picking yourself by putting together some big scores. I always try to erase any doubts the selectors may have by producing the goods on the field,” Smith said.

He is also among those in the East End keen to see St. George’s become the first club to reel off three successive Cup Match victories in 38 years. Cal (Bummy) Symonds’ star-laden St. George’s team were the last to achieve that remarkable feat at Wellington Oval in 1969.

He is the only batsman in Cup Match history to score three centuries to date and currently shares batting partnership records for the second wicket along with brother Wendell (200) and third wicket with Glenn Blakeney (144). And he is now on the threshold of joining an exclusive group who have complied 1,000 runs or more in the classic.

“Achieving it would be great. But it has never been a milestone that has stuck out in my mind in terms of personal goals in Cup Match,” Smith said. “Scoring 1,000 runs would put me amongst an elite group, but I still have other personal goals that I haven’t achieved in Cup Match.”