In a display of remarkable composure and skill, 22-year-old Jacob Bethell carved his name into Ashes history with an unbeaten maiden Test century at Sydney Cricket Ground. The left-handed batsman’s flawless 142 not out provided England with a fragile second-innings lead of 119 runs, finishing day four at 302-8 with two wickets remaining.
Bethell’s arrival at the crease came during a period of significant pressure for England. The early dismissal of Zak Crawley, trapped lbw by Mitchell Starc’s devastating inswinger in the opening over, set a troubling tone. First-innings centurion Joe Root managed just six runs from 37 deliveries before falling to Scott Boland, deepening England’s predicament.
The young batsman demonstrated extraordinary maturity, reaching his century off 162 balls with a lofted drive over midwicket for four. His performance became particularly crucial after middle-order collapses saw Harry Brook lbw for 42 and Will Jacks caught without scoring within three deliveries from part-time off-spinner Beau Webster, who unexpectedly claimed 3-51.
Adding to England’s challenges, captain Ben Stokes lasted just five balls after limping to the crease with a groin injury, while a miscommunication resulted in Jamie Smith’s run-out for 24 during a promising 45-run partnership.
Australia had established a formidable position earlier, dismissed for 567 before lunch on the back of Travis Head’s 163 and captain Steve Smith’s 138, giving them a 183-run first-innings advantage.
With number ten Matthew Potts yet to score, Bethell acknowledged the strategic challenge ahead: ‘I’m going to have to be smart around how we let Pottsy and (Josh) Tongue come in and what they face. I’m just going to have to hit the gaps. It’s a big outfield, so there are plenty of gaps and I just have to try and hit them.’
The emotional significance wasn’t lost on Bethell, who celebrated with his parents in attendance: ‘To do that and have the family there was very special. My dad was a cricketer so he knows how it feels to be out there batting, but I don’t think that stops him from getting any less nervous.’