Australian cricketer Jake Weatherald has provided a fascinating insight into the meaning of a cryptic hand gesture Steve Smith directed at England's Jofra Archer during a fiery on-field exchange at The Gabba. The incident occurred as Australia closed in on an eight-wicket victory over England late on Sunday evening.
The Heated Exchange and Mysterious Signal
With Australia needing just 59 runs to win, Steve Smith returned to the crease and aggressively targeted England's bowling. After hammering a 146km/h delivery from Archer for four, the atmosphere turned frosty. Archer was heard on the stump microphone telling Smith: "You only play those shots when there's not much on the score, mate."
Smith immediately bit back, noting Archer's increased pace compared to the first innings, retorting: "[You only] Bowl fast when there's nothing going on, champion." The very next ball, Archer unleashed a 150.5km/h delivery, which Smith audaciously pulled over his left shoulder for six.
It was then that Smith turned to Archer, who was standing in the middle of the wicket, and raised his right hand, forming a cupped 'U' shape with his thumb and index finger. The mysterious signal left viewers and commentators puzzled.
Weatherald's Inside Knowledge
Jake Weatherald, who was at the non-striker's end and also involved in verbal sparring with England captain Ben Stokes, has now shed light on the gesture's meaning. Speaking to cricket.com.au, Weatherald revealed it is a signal known among South Australian cricketers.
"I don't necessarily know what it originated from," Weatherald admitted. "I know a lot of the blokes from South Australia use it. I think it just means 'rest'. As in like 'have a rest', 'have a spell' basically. I know a lot of the SACA boys do it. Daniel Drew, who was 12th man [in Brisbane], he's the guy who does it quite a lot. He couldn't believe it happened."
The Spark That Ignited the Fire
Weatherald believes the tensions began to rise earlier, following a wasted review by England in the seventh over. After surviving an lbw appeal from Archer, Weatherald commented, "waste of a review, that was always going down leg." This, he says, prompted Archer and others to suggest he had "kicked them off."
The Aussie Test rookie also found himself in a brief war of words with Ben Stokes. When Weatherald challenged Archer to speak clearly, Stokes interjected: "You got 70 and started chatting." Weatherald replied that he was only responding to what was being said to him, to which Stokes remarked, "I say it with a smile on my face though, Jake."
Reflecting on the experience of watching the Smith-Archer duel up close, Weatherald was full of admiration. "You watch a guy like Jofra... and then you get a guy like Steve Smith, who is the best player I've ever seen by a mile," he said. "The way he went about it was just the opposite of how I'd think about cricket... He was thinking about: 'How can I finish this game off?' It was pretty impressive."
Aftermath and Looking Ahead
While Weatherald has been happy to explain the context, Steve Smith has remained tight-lipped about the sledging match. When questioned, Smith said, "He [Archer] was just bowling good pace. Not really too sure what he said, not really sure what I said, and I'm not sure it's any of your business either."
The rivalry continues, with Archer having dismissed Weatherald lbw in both Brisbane and Perth. All eyes will now be on the Adelaide Oval clash this Wednesday, where England will desperately try to bounce back after falling 2-0 behind in the series. The heated exchanges at The Gabba have only added another compelling layer to this fiercely contested Ashes battle.
