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- Australia vs England 5th Ashes Test, Day 4 highlights: England 302/8 at stumps, lead by 119 runs vs Australia at SCG
Australia vs England 5th Ashes Test, Day 4 highlights: England 302/8 at stumps, lead by 119 runs vs Australia at SCG
By stumps on day four at the Sydney Cricket Ground, the tourists were 302-8 with Bethell not out 142 and Matthew Potts yet to score.
The 22-year-old Bethell saved the day after Zak Crawley fell early and veteran Joe Root cheaply, powering to his hundred in style off 162 balls.
But wickets tumbled around him with Harry Brook (42) and Will Jacks (0) removed in the space of three balls by the off-spin of Beau Webster two overs after Bethell reached the landmark.
A calamitous mix-up then saw Jamie Smith (24) run out.
Ben Stokes (1) came in at seven after limping off clutching what appeared to be his groin while bowling the third over of the day, but only lasted five balls with Webster again doing the damage.
England are desperate for another morale-boosting win after victory in the previous Test at Melbourne. Australia lead 3-1 and have already retained the Ashes.
Remarkably, it was not just Bethell's maiden Test ton but the only one he has scored in red-ball cricket, with his previous best 96 against New Zealand.
Bethell was recalled for Melbourne to replace the under-performing Ollie Pope, scoring a gritty 40 in difficult batting conditions with the number three position now his to lose.
His exploits came after the hosts were dismissed for 567 before lunch on the back of Travis Head's 163 and 138 from skipper Steve Smith.
That left England chasing a 183-run deficit after their first innings 384.
- Starc strikes early -
They needed a solid start, but chief tormentor Mitchell Starc once again conjured up a first-over breakthrough -- his 29th wicket for the series.
The pace spearhead delivered a beautiful inswinger that Crawley misjudged and left, with the ball smacking his pads and he was out lbw for one.
Fellow opener Ben Duckett was dropped on 38, but failed to capitalise and was bowled by Michael Neser on 42, his highest score in a wretched series.
Root, fresh from his first innings 160, was terrorised by Starc and Neser.
He finally fell lbw after facing 37 balls for his six runs to the relentless Scott Boland, with the 35-year-old trudging off dejected.
But Bethell proved unmovable.
A single off Neser overhauled Australia's lead soon after tea and the youngster passed three figures emphatically with a cracking boundary through midwicket.
But Webster then swung the momentum back to Australia with his double strike, trapping Brook lbw before Jacks inexplicably holed out to Cameron Green in the deep.
Smith's run-out compounded England's problems, the wicketkeeper-batsman setting off for a single but sent back by Bethell and caught well short by Jake Weatherald's throw.
Stokes edged Webster to Smith in the slips with Brydon Carse doing the same off Boland on 16.
Australia resumed at 518-7, with Smith on 129 after his 13th Ashes century -- more than any other player except the legendary Don Bradman -- and Webster on 42.
Smith flogged Stokes through the covers for a boundary in his first over, while Webster dished out similar treatment to Carse.
But the Australia skipper did not last long, nicking a fuller length delivery from Josh Tongue to wicketkeeper Jamie Smith.
Webster reached a fifth half-century in his eighth Test with a single and put on 20 with Starc before the big paceman was bowled by Tongue for five.
Boland suffered a golden duck to leave Webster unbeaten on 71.
Tongue ended with 3-97 and Carse 3-130.
Michael Neser to Jacob Bethell, The odd one outside off, short in length, Jacob leaves.
Michael Neser to Jacob Bethell, On a fuller length, on middle, Jacob Bethell leans on and keeps it out to the off side.
- Joe Root 1 (13)
- Jacob Bethell 36 (69)
Scott Boland to Joe Root, Full and on the stumps, angling in, Root clips it to mid on.
Scott Boland to Joe Root, Oh, this one stays low on the bounce. Touch full, jagging in and around off. Joe Root watchfully defends it off the back foot to point. There was a visible puff of dust when the ball pitched.
Scott Boland to Joe Root, Nips in from off, on a fuller length, Joe Root covers the line and blocks it back to the bowler.
Scott Boland to Joe Root, Fuller in length, around off, good solid defence from Root.
Scott Boland to Joe Root, Folds back into the batter from a fullish length, just outside off. Joe Root strides across, tries to block, but gets a thick inside edge onto the front pad and the ball rolls to point. A half hearted appeal for LBW from the men behind the batter, but the appeal dies down instantly.
Scott Boland to Jacob Bethell, Back of a length, and this is tucked in front of square on the leg side for a single.
- Jacob Bethell 35 (68)
- Joe Root 1 (8)
Michael Neser to Jacob Bethell, EDGED AND SAFE! Did it carry towards Green at gully though? Fuller ball, just outside off, nipping away and forcing Bethell to chase the wide line. He gets a thick outside edge as he pushes at it with hard hands. The ball goes flat and low to the left of the gully fielder, where Cameron Green spreads his wingspan with a dive, but parries the ball with his left hand to the deep for a single.
Michael Neser to Jacob Bethell, Hard length, on off, Bethell hangs back and punches it to the off side.
Michael Neser to Jacob Bethell, Much fuller, on off, Bethell is solid on his front foot defence this time around.
Michael Neser to Jacob Bethell, Fuller than a length, around off, angling in. Jacob Bethell presses ahead to defend, but the ball bounces and spins back towards the stumps. Bethell is alert enough to realise that and kick it away.
Michael Neser to Jacob Bethell, Nagging length, nipping away outside off, Jacob Bethell feels for it and tries to block off the back foot, but manages to drag his bat inside the line.
The last player with this unwanted record was Phil Simmons during the 1991 England tour.
Duckett is the fourth such batter in Ashes history after Cyril Washbrook (1950/51), John Edrich (1972) and Kim Hughes (1978/79).
Michael Neser to Jacob Bethell, FOUR! Seesh, that's a shot and a half! A bit too straight and overpitched on middle, Jacob Bethell plays with a straight bat and middles it down the ground for a cracking boundary. A pure delight to watch.
- Joe Root 1 (8)
- Jacob Bethell 30 (62)
Scott Boland to Joe Root, Cuts back in on a fuller length, Joe Root gets across and flicks it to mid on.
Scott Boland to Joe Root, Hard length, outside off, Root hops and taps it with soft hands to widish gully.
Scott Boland to Joe Root, A RIPPER! Angles in and then seams away from off, on a hard length. Root presses forward to defend, but plays inside the line and gets beaten on the outside edge.
Scott Boland to Joe Root, Length ball, on the stumps, blocked off the outer half.
Scott Boland to Joe Root, Back of a length, around off, Root forces the drive to mid off.
Scott Boland to Joe Root, Nips in from a length, on middle, Root blocks it from the pitch.
- Jacob Bethell 30 (62)
- Joe Root 1 (2)
Michael Neser to Jacob Bethell, Nagging length, in front of the sticks, Jacob Bethell hops on the toes and blocks it down the pitch.
Michael Neser to Jacob Bethell, A bit loose from Bethell! A good length delivery around the sixth stump. The youngster walks down the track and throws his hands at it, trying for an expansive drive away from the body, only to be beaten on the outside edge.
Michael Neser to Jacob Bethell, BEATEN AGAIN! Length-delivery, around off, nipping away, Bethell prods forward to block, only to get beaten past the outside edge.
Michael Neser to Joe Root, Root is off the mark! Length ball, around off, tapped away into the point region for a single.
Michael Neser to Joe Root, BEAUTY! Good length around off, angling in before pitching and straightening with a bit of extra bounce at 131 kph. Root presses forward in defence and is beaten on the outside edge.
Australia with a breakthrough early in the second session. Here's Joe Root in at number 4.
Michael Neser to Ben Duckett, OUT! CHOPPED ON! Neser ends Duckett's resistance and he keeps chipping away at the wickets for his side. Again, the technique comes under the scanner here. With the pitch deteriorating and having uneven bounce, playing cross-batted strokes is always a big risk and Duckett does exactly that. Instead of bringing his bat vertically down to block off the back foot, he tries to slash this length ball from outside off that nips back into him and drags it back onto the stumps off the fat inside edge. Too tight a line to cut it away as well. Ben Duckett is frustrated with himself as he was looking so good barring this delivery. He trudges off for 42 off 55 and England are 85/2, trailing by 98 runs.
- Jacob Bethell 30 (59)
- Ben Duckett 42 (54)
Scott Boland to Jacob Bethell, Hard length, into the body, bunted down the pitch off the back foot.
Scott Boland to Jacob Bethell, WHISKER! Rears up a bit from a good length, just outside off. Jacob Bethell chases the wide delivery on the back foot, hanging his bat loosely away from his body, and gets beaten on the outside edge.
Scott Boland to Jacob Bethell, Full and wide on off, Bethell shows no interest.
Scott Boland to Jacob Bethell, Fractionally full, jagging back in and around off, Jacob watchfully leaves it alone.
Scott Boland to Ben Duckett, Full and around off, Duckett prods forward and drives it between mid off and extra cover for a single.
Scott Boland to Jacob Bethell, Across off, on a length, nipping away with bounce. Jacob Bethell pushes at it on the front foot, and gets a fat outside edge that flies flat and wide of point for a single. England trail by 99 runs!
Starc to bowl from the other end? Nope. Scott Boland is the one who will share the attack with Neser. 4-1-6-0 so far are his bowling figures.
- Ben Duckett 41 (53)
- Jacob Bethell 29 (54)
Michael Neser to Ben Duckett, Fullish delivery, on off, Duckett pushes it off the inner half of the bat to short mid-wicket.
Michael Neser to Ben Duckett, Well bowled! Angling into the left-hander, touch full and straightening up. Ben Duckett is drawn forward and forced to play the line. But gets beaten on the outside edge.
Michael Neser to Jacob Bethell, Rises up from the pitch, on a length, on middle, angling in. Jacob rides the bounce and nudges it to mid-wicket for a single.
Michael Neser to Jacob Bethell, BEATEN! A tempter from Neser! In the channel of off, on a fractionally fuller length, and nibbling away off the seam. Jacob Bethell is sucked onto the front foot to block, but plays the initial line as the ball whistles past his outside edge.
Michael Neser to Ben Duckett, On a length, around off, sliced off the back foot to the left of deep point for a single.
Michael Neser to Ben Duckett, On a length, around off, tapped off the back foot to the cover-point region.
Michael Neser to Ben Duckett, From around the stumps, this is full and around off, Ben presses forward and blocks it to the off side. Uh, oh! No Ball for overstepping straightaway.
We are all set for the action to begin. Jacob Bethell has walked out in the middle alongside Ben Duckett and the duo is set to resume with England's scorecard reading 80 for 1. The visitors still trail by 103 runs and they'll be aiming to get past this number without losing many wickets in this session itself. Michael Neser is geared up to bowl the first over of this post-Lunch session. Duckett to face. Here we go again...
... DAY 4, SESSION 2 ...
Lunch on Day 4 in Sydney has arrived, and it has been a session defined by a rapid exchange of wickets and a gritty English recovery effort. While the first three days of this fifth Test saw runs piled up in abundance, this morning brought a shift in momentum as the wearing surface began to offer more for the bowlers. Resuming at 518 for 7, the Australian batting order was bundled out for 567, adding just 49 runs to their overnight total. Josh Tongue was the chief architect of this morning's collapse, claiming the vital wickets of a well-set Steve Smith for 138 and Mitchell Starc for 5. Will Jacks then polished off the innings by dismissing Scott Boland for a golden duck, leaving Beau Webster stranded on an impressive, unbeaten 71.
Facing a daunting first-innings deficit of 183 runs, England's second innings got off to a disastrous start. Mitchell Starc continued his habit of striking in the opening over, removing Zak Crawley to leave the visitors reeling early. However, Ben Duckett and Jacob Bethell showed immense resolve to steady the ship, navigating a high-pressure session with a risk-free approach. The partnership had reached 76 runs as Lunch approached, though Australia will rue a missed opportunity after Cameron Green dropped a regulation chance in the slips off Duckett. England will head into the break knowing they need much more of this resolute batting to claw their way back into the contest on a deteriorating deck. With a deficit of 103 and 9 wickets in hand, England might be aiming to give themselves a good chance by scoring big in this innings. We will be back around 2.10 am GMT for the post-Lunch session.
- Ben Duckett 40 (48)
- Jacob Bethell 28 (52)
Cameron Green to Ben Duckett, Good length around off, Ben Duckett guides this through point and takes a single. And that will be LUNCH on Day 4!
Cameron Green to Ben Duckett, Hard length on the pads, Ben Duckett defends this towards the right of short leg.
Cameron Green to Ben Duckett, Back of a length on off, Ben Duckett keeps it out.
Cameron Green to Jacob Bethell, Good length around off, Jacob Bethell drops this in front of a deepish mid off and takes one.
Match Statistics
Venue
Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), Sydney
