Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Owen Smith is a product of the Barnsley Woolley Miners system.
Owen Smith credits one of England’s current Ashes adversaries as playing an important role in his development as a young player after the 18-year-old recently signed rookie pro terms at Headingley.
Smith, a dynamic top order batter who has the ability to keep wicket, signed alongside Jay Singh and Charlie H Taylor back in October.
The 18-year-old is a product of Barnsley Woolley Miners, where Australia opener Jake Weatherald spent two years as their overseas star in 2022 and 2023.
Smith, currently wintering in Melbourne – where he will watch his former team-mate in action on Boxing Day, even played in a 2022 Yorkshire Premier League South game which saw left-handed Weatherald score a stunning 270 off 107 balls against Whiston Parish Church.
He was the chief reason why Barnsley racked up an incredible 512-9 from their 50 overs, going on to win by 333 runs.
Weatherald has gone on to impress in Sheffield Shield state cricket for Tasmania, earning his maiden Test call-up for the biggest series in all. He has helped the Aussies go 2-0 up after as many Tests.
The 31-year-old scored 72 and 17 not out in the most recent Test at Brisbane having posted nought and 23 on his debut at Perth last month.
Smith said: “Whenever I had the chance to spend time with Jake, I definitely used it.
“He was more the mental side of the game. He didn’t really give me much technically. It was just about trusting your process and making sure that you nail it down.
“To have the chance to play with him for two years was incredible.
“He actually came in that first year as a late replacement for the overseas we were due to sign, and it got announced in a team meeting. I was thinking, ‘I remember him getting a hundred in a Big Bash final. We’ve got some player on our hands’.
“More than that, he’s just a genuine down-to-earth guy with one of the loudest laughs you’ll ever hear.
“We sent him a congratulations message after he got picked, and we were all so happy for him.”
Weatherald has spoken openly about struggles with mental health, and that came around the time that he was with Barnsley, a club who have certainly played their part in helping him get to where he has done.
“Yeah, he definitely struggled mentally, but he never let it impact those around him,” said Smith, the pair helping Barnsley win the league’s T20 title in 2022.
“He always found time to support others.”
In terms of that game against Whiston, Weatherald posted the highest ever individual score in the YPL South, the team total also a league record.
It was done against a side including Pakistan all-rounder Aamer Jamal.
Smith said: “We were knocking at the door with big scores for a long time.
“Obviously having Jake, he came in with a very aggressive approach, as you can imagine. He had a couple of hundreds off not many balls.
“The Whiston game, I think it was the seventh over that he hit 30 off it, and you were just gobsmacked by his ability to strike the ball.
“Everybody batted around him, and I think he was out in the 40th over with 270 to his name, which is astonishing in itself when you think about it.
“He’s definitely deserved his opportunity with Australia.”
Smith is enjoying a productive winter of club cricket with Melburnians Deepdene Bears, one of Anthony McGrath’s former clubs.
The teenager – he turns 19 in early January – has tickets to the Boxing Day Test.
“Hopefully Jake’s on the boundary rope near me, so I can maybe have a few words with him,” added Smith.
Before then, England head to Adelaide for the third Test, starting Tuesday night – 11.30pm UK, hoping to keep the series alive. They are 2-0 down visiting a ground where Weatherald scored a Big Bash final century for Adelaide Strikers against Hobart Hurricanes in early 2018.
Jofra Archer was in the Hurricanes team that day.
Picture by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images. Jake Weatherald, Australia’s current Test opener, spent two seasons as the overseas player at YPL South side Barnsley Woolley Miners and smashed a couple of records along the way.