1 day ago
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It was good. So good. So unbelievably good. On the penultimate day of an Ashes tour packed with regrets for England, a star was born when Jacob Bethell, 22 years young, raised his bat to all corners of the Sydney Cricket Ground in celebration of a hundred that offered hope for the future.
There was no reason why England should collapse to defeat on this sun-soaked fourth day but every reason to think they might anyway. Ground down by Australia over two months, starting their second innings 183 runs behind and with Ben Stokes injured first thing, they certainly looked ripe for it.
And yet by the close, even with some more galling dismissals and a 4-1 series victory likely loading for Australia, England had reached 302 for eight and a lead of 119 runs. The tourists were just about still breathing and all thanks a gum-chewing rookie with zinc cream smeared across his cheeks.
It was not just the digits next to Bethell’s name, 142 not out from 232 balls, 15 fours, but the manner in which they came about. This was pure spun silk, elegance personified, all back-foot punches and pull shots struck with Swiss clock precision. Remarkably, it was also his maiden first-class century.
No specialist England batter has ever achieved this feat in a Test match, just handful of wicketkeepers and bowlers. And yet, it remains a head-scratcher as to why England chose to park him for much of 2025 when that surprise debut in New Zealand last winter had everyone purring.
Either way, Bethell has finally arrived in Test cricket and, if nothing else on this bleak tour, England have found their No 3. Nothing was handed to him on a plate here either, not least having walked out after Zak Crawley’s series ended much like it started: dismissed during Mitchell Starc’s first over.
Over the course of six hours at the crease he repelled everything that came his way, overcoming the loss of Ben Duckett for a tour best of 42, and Joe Root for a slightly tortured score of six, to ensure Australia would not be cruising to an end result that their all-round superior cricket has merited.
Beau Webster (3-51) had earlier shattered English hopes of giving Australia a fourth-innings run chase that might truly test them when he removed Harry Brook and Will Jacks in the space of three balls, the latter holing out from the second delivery he faced.
Australia’s bowlers were unremitting in their effort and application with Starc removing Crawley lbw for one with the fifth ball of the innings to claim his 29th wicket of the series. Crawley did not offer a shot as the ball thumped into his pad and England’s opening partnership failed to survive the opening over for the fourth time in the series.
Scott Boland, remarkably not even a first-choice selection when all Australia’s quicks are fit, was again uber-reliable and ousted danger man Root in an lbw decision confirmed by DRS. The 36-year-old Boland returned to take the last wicket of the day – his 20th of the series – by inducing a thick edge off Brydon Carse that Steve Smith gobbled up in the slips.
Ali Martin’s full report to follow …
