Tom Smith burst onto the scene at the start of the 2006 season after a useful England Under-19 career with impressive performances in the Championship and C&G Trophy. He is a nagging seamer with the ability to bring the ball back into the right-handers and made a habit of bowling batsmen when they leave the ball. He has talent with the bat, too, and was used to open the batting during the 2010 season with some success although he remained inconsistent. His impressive first full season was rewarded with a place in the England Academy squad.

The 2011 season brought notable progress when his contribution to the County Championship title-winning campaign combined 459 runs, including four half centuries, with 25 wickets from 12 matches. In the Clydesdale Bank 40, his 282 runs and seven wickets included a stunning all-round performance against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge, when he hit 117 off 104 balls and then took 4 for 48, which made him the first Lancashire player to take four wickets and score a century in the same one-day match.

Smith was dogged by hamstring and thigh injuries in 2012, when his absences certainly contributed to Lancashire's unexpected relegation from Division One. Yet he still managed another impressive one-day feat in a CB40 match against Worcestershire at New Road, when he hit 10 sixes and eight fours in making 106 off 46 balls. The century mark was reached off 44 balls, the third quickest in one-day history in England and jointly the fifth fastest anywhere in the world.

His 2013 season was curious, firstly left out of the side and then further injuries hampered him but his eventual Championship averages of 48.16 with the bat and 22.63 with the ball reminded everyone of his all-round credentials.
ESPNcricinfo staff