Steve Smith is BOOED as he receives player of the match award over Ben Stokes

Australia’s Steve Smith was roundly booed after being named player of the match in the second Ashes Test at Lords on Sunday.

The former captain scored a vital first innings hundred as the tourists took a 2-0 series lead with a 43-run victory, but the crowd made it clear they felt a home player was more deserving of the award.

Ben Stokes scored a remarkable 155 in the fourth innings as England came close to pulling off an unlikely chase of 371.

It conjured memories of a similar innings he played at Headingley in 2019, but the England captain fell with 70 still needed as Smith took the catch.

Smith had dropped Stokes earlier in the innings, but it ended up costing Australia little as they removed the England tail with relative ease. 

Some would argue Ben Stokes was more deserving of the award after making a thrilling fourth innings hundred, albeit in a losing cause

The Lords crowd made their feelings known as they booed Smith during the post-match presentation

With fans jeering throughout his post-match interview, the batter said of Stokes’ knock: ‘There was a bit of deja vu there, he’s an unbelievable player.

‘Some of the things he can pull off  in the game of cricket, he’s a freak. The way he went about it, he was just targeting that one side, he was smacking them down the hill, and then batting the other end. 

‘Obviously I dropped him so I was feeling it for a bit there, I think that was the first shot he tried to hit from the other end when he got out, so fortunately it went up the chimney, but yeah an incredible knock.’

The jeering followed something on an ill-tempered final day at the home of cricket.

It started when Jonny Bairstow was run-out in controversial fashion in the morning session. 

The former captain played an important role on the final day as he dropped Ben Stokes during his most destructive spell

He later clung on to a vital catch that dismissed the England captain for a well-made 155

Alex Carey threw the stumps down after the England man had wandered absent-mindedly out of his crease, which led some to complain that Australia should not have appealed as he was not trying to gain an advantage.

Never one to back down in an argument, new batter Stuart Broad told the Australian keeper he would ‘forever be remembered for that’ and pointedly placed his bat behind the line after each delivery.

The crowd also turned against the tourists after the incident, and the MCC were forced to apologise after Usman Khawaja and David Warner were confronted by members in the famous Long Room.

Australia now lead the Ashes 2-0, meaning Ben Stokes’ side will need to win each of the three remaining Tests if they are to regain the Ashes.