It is often said practice makes perfect, which certainly proved to be the case for St George’s batter Jonté Smith in his team’s resounding win over Cup Match rivals Somerset at Wellington Oval last weekend.

After a poor run of form at the crease, Smith decided to spend more time perfecting his technique hitting tennis balls in the nets in the lead-up to the Premier Division 50 overs contest, which ultimately paid off as he notched a maiden century at senior level.

“Scoring my first century was one of my goals that I set before the season started,” Smith told The Royal Gazette.

“I went into the start of the season full of confidence, but a few low scores knocked me back a bit.

“I was taught early by my father [St George’s coach Clay Smith] that when things aren’t going well, you double down on the work you’re putting in to your craft.

“So, the week leading into the game against Somerset, I must have hit a few hundred tennis balls, working on some of the mistakes I was making. That boosted my confidence going into the game.”

The early-order batter thumped 107 off 89 balls, which included six sixes and ten fours, to lay the foundation for his team’s 384 for five.

“I was a bit cautious throughout the innings, taking my time and being patient as we had plenty of overs to bat,” added Smith, who featured 113 for the third wicket with captain Onias Bascome.

“Then I got an over with a few loose deliveries which I hit for about 26 to bring up my first fifty of the season, which was a milestone I was hoping to achieve.

“At that point I started to accelerate a little more and ended up getting 27 off another over.

“Being wary of the new bonus points structure, I was consciously thinking about my strike rate as I got closer to the 100 mark to help secure an extra point for my team.

“I was in a position to take ones and twos to take a low-risk approach to getting my maiden century.”

Smith reached his maiden century after playing an Isaiah Richardson ball through mid-wicket for a single.

“It was a big occasion for me and something I’ve always wanted to achieve,” he said.

“There’s a big legacy that I want to live up to in terms of cricket in my family.”

Smith is delighted to be part of a close-knit St George’s outfit who got back to winning ways with their 136-run win over Somerset.

“I am fortunate to be in a team that holds each other accountable and pushes each other to be better,” he added.

“Seeing my fellow team-mates and batsmen put up solid scores week in and week out has been amazing to watch. It’s a testament to how hard we’ve been working as a team.

“A lot of players are seeing the fruits of their labour and it’s motivating all of us to continue putting in the work to achieve our goals.

“It’s been a big push from the entire organisation from the president [Mishael Paynter] downwards.”