Smith first to 1000 runs this season

Ed Smith became the first player to make 1,000 first-class runs in England this season with a career-best 203 for Kent against Lancashire at Blackpool.

And he joins an elite list of players to have achieved that feat. In 1998 Justin Langer was first passed the mark for Middlesex, in 1999 Stuart Law did it for Essex, and Michael Bevan for Sussex in 2000. David Fulton then broke the Aussie trend for Kent in 2001, only for Mike Hussey to set it again in 2002 for Northants.

At the start of play, Smith needed 194 to reach the milestone and he passed it with a four off John Wood. His innings included 35 fours and a six, and Smith has now scored four centuries in his last five county Championship innings.

After his marathon innings, Smith said: "It's been a good few weeks, form comes and goes and you've got to cash in when you're on form." And is he now hoping for a phone call from David Graveney, England's chairmnan of selectors? "All I can do is keep getting runs and playing as well as I can."

Smith went into the match with scores of 135 against Surrey, 149 and 113 against Nottinghamshire - and in between he also made 126 against Glamorgan in a National League game.

His previous best first-class score was the 190 he made for Cambridge University against Leicestershire in 1997.