Smith fires in return to Australian cricket

Steve Smith marked his first game in Australia since the events of Cape Town with a sublime innings on Saturday for Sutherland in NSW Premier Cricket.

In front of more than 1000 spectators at Glenn McGrath Oval in Sydney’s south, Smith posted 85 from 92 balls, with six fours and one six against Mosman.

Scorecard: Sutherland v Mosman

His knock came as his former Test and ODI vice-captain David Warner also made his return to club cricket, some 45 minutes north at Coogee Oval for Randwick-Petersham against St George.

Warner's side bowled first, but it didn't take long for the left-hander to make his mark against St George's bowling attack - featuring Test quicks Josh Hazlewood and Trent Copeland.

Warner scored a brilliant century from just 98 balls, that featured 11 boundaries and one massive six that flew out of the ground.

While Smith has played in T20 tournaments in Canada and the Caribbean in the aftermath of the ball-tampering scandal, today was the first time he took centre on home soil.

And if there was any doubt about whether Smith would be welcomed back by the Australian public, the booming ovation he received upon entering and exiting the field put that worry to bed.

Smith's Sutherland teammate and former international ally Shane Watson, who missed the match due to injury, said the reception the former skipper received from the big crowd would have given him a boost.

"It's awesome to see him playing," Watson said.

"I'd prefer him to be playing for Australia, but the support that he got, the warm applause when he scored runs and also when he got out shows that everyone is supporting him.

"The support that he's got today would just reassure (to him) that everything's OK. People make mistakes and people do forgive and forgive very quickly as well."

It was, after all that's happened, a regular day of cricket for Smith.

Ninety minutes before play, Smith was crashing throwdowns on the outskirts of the playing field before the customary team talk an hour out from the first ball, when McGrath himself and former Blues gloveman Steve Rixon presented fresh caps to two Sutherland debutants.

After helping his teammates remove the covers off the square and comfortably taking outfield catches from the coach, Smith walked from the field when he saw his captain indicate the home side had been asked to bat by their opponents.

When it was his time to bat, Smith was greeted with applause by the swelling crowd as he strode to the middle at the fall of the first wicket.

A clip off his hip for two got his innings underway before a pair of expansive cover drives, where he threw his hands at the ball and whirled the bat after contact in typical fashion, found the beige picket fence.

Smith was gifted a life on 11 when a drilled on-drive was dropped by the bowler, a difficult chance but one that was cheered by those in attendance who had come to watch the former skipper bat.

Trademark Smith moments followed; huge shouts of "not now" to his batting partner preceded a lightsabre leave or an animated point of the bat back at the bowler, singles were easily milked off the left-arm spinner and it would not be a Steve Smith innings without multiple change of gloves, which he requested at the drinks intervals or the fall of a wicket.

By the time second hour was complete, Smith had passed his 50 and Sutherland were 4-177 from 35 overs - and it was time to up the ante.

A mowed six over mid-wicket caused a temporary delay while ball was discovered in the brush as he lined up Mosman’s medium pacers.

The only appearance of rust was when Smith started to slog, but his agricultural stroke play still found the rope.

His innings ended after a slog to leg was skied to a mid-on fielder, who did well to hold on.

Head down, Smith trudged off the field, but the cheer from the crowd was full of appreciation after seeing one of the world's best batsmen back doing what he does best.