CANTERBURY, England // Steven Smith gave another indication of just how far he has come in eight years with a century for Australia against Kent in the Ashes tour opener at Canterbury on Friday.
Australia declared on 507 for eight at lunch on the second day of four, with Smith having made 111. Meanwhile, 21-year-old paceman Matt Hunn, the only Kent bowler to enjoy success against the tourists, completed a distinguished five-wicket haul in just his fourth first-class match on his way to figures of five for 99 in 27 overs.
In 2007, the teenage Smith played a handful of matches for Kent’s second XI and spent the season with local club side Sevenoaks Vine, where he was viewed as a promising leg-spinner who could also bat.
Roll on to 2015 and Smith is now ranked as the world’s leading Test batsman, with an average of better than 56.
Australia, sent in to bat, resumed on 348 for three after openers Mitchell Marsh (114) and Chris Rogers (84), vying for a place alongside the rested David Warner in the first Test against England in Cardiff on July 8, as well as captain Michael Clarke (56), all spent time in the middle.
Smith was 71 not out and fellow all-rounder Shane Watson was unbeaten on eight.
The only time Smith looked in any trouble was on 99 when he charged down the pitch to Australia-born seamer Mitchell Claydon and missed with an expansive drive. However, he soon whipped Claydon off his pads and beyond the mid-wicket rope to complete a 151-ball hundred featuring 11 fours and a six.
That shot came in a run of three successive fours before Smith, who could have represented England through his English-born mother, decided he had enough batting and walked off.
Not for the first time, Watson failed to cash in as all around him scored runs, falling for 21 when well caught by Joe Denly at backward point off Hunn.
And the right-arm fast-medium bowler had a fifth wicket when he dismissed Mitchell Marsh (30) with a swinging delivery that uprooted the off-stump.
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Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
How green is the expo nursery?
Some 400,000 shrubs and 13,000 trees in the on-site nursery
An additional 450,000 shrubs and 4,000 trees to be delivered in the months leading up to the expo
Ghaf, date palm, acacia arabica, acacia tortilis, vitex or sage, techoma and the salvadora are just some heat tolerant native plants in the nursery
Approximately 340 species of shrubs and trees selected for diverse landscape
The nursery team works exclusively with organic fertilisers and pesticides
All shrubs and trees supplied by Dubai Municipality
Most sourced from farms, nurseries across the country
Plants and trees are re-potted when they arrive at nursery to give them room to grow
Some mature trees are in open areas or planted within the expo site
Green waste is recycled as compost
Treated sewage effluent supplied by Dubai Municipality is used to meet the majority of the nursery’s irrigation needs
Construction workforce peaked at 40,000 workers
About 65,000 people have signed up to volunteer
Main themes of expo is ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ and three subthemes of opportunity, mobility and sustainability.
Expo 2020 Dubai to open in October 2020 and run for six months
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