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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.
- Jacob Bethell 12 (32)
- Ben Duckett 17 (20)
Michael Neser to Jacob Bethell, Good length around off, Jacob Bethell dead bats it.
Michael Neser to Jacob Bethell, Full and wide of off, angling away from the batter. Jacob Bethell leaves it.
Michael Neser to Jacob Bethell, On a length around off, Jacob Bethell strides towards the pitch of it and blocks.
Michael Neser to Jacob Bethell, On a length around middle and off, Jacob Bethell keeps it out.
Michael Neser to Jacob Bethell, Back of a length on off, Jacob Bethell defends this one.
Michael Neser to Ben Duckett, Good length on off, Ben Duckett guides this to the third man region for one this time.
- Jacob Bethell 12 (27)
- Ben Duckett 16 (19)
Scott Boland to Jacob Bethell, Good length around off, Jacob Bethell keeps it out.
Scott Boland to Jacob Bethell, FOUR BYES! Geez, that took off like a flight. Scott Boland goes for the top-drawer, bowls a well-directed bumper around leg. Jacob Bethell ducks down and the ball keeps climbing up and beats the keeper's leap as well before it races behind to the ropes.
Scott Boland to Jacob Bethell, Hard length around off, Jacob Bethell is forced to play at it with the angle, and pushes at the delivery. Goes with soft hands and ekes out an outside edge wide of gully for a single.
Scott Boland to Ben Duckett, On a length around the pads, Ben Duckett flicks this through mid-wicket for one.
Scott Boland to Ben Duckett, Short and wide of off, Ben Duckett slashes really hard at it but doesn't connect at all.
Scott Boland to Ben Duckett, Good length on off, Ben Duckett defends this off his front foot.
- Jacob Bethell 10 (24)
- Ben Duckett 15 (16)
Michael Neser to Jacob Bethell, On a length around the pads, Jacob Bethell flicks this to the mid-wicket region and takes two to close the over.
Michael Neser to Ben Duckett, Hard length, into the batter. Ben Duckett works this through square leg for one.
Michael Neser to Jacob Bethell, Good length onto the pads, Bethell tucks this through short fine leg for one.
Michael Neser to Jacob Bethell, In the channel, on off. Jacob keeps it out off his front foot.
Michael Neser to Jacob Bethell, FOUR! Class written all over it. Pitched up, on the pads, Jacob Bethell leans onto it and flicks this through the mid-wicket region for a boundary.
Michael Neser to Jacob Bethell, Good length wide of off, Jacob Bethell leaves it all alone.
This is the moment for Jacob Bethell to seize the number three slot and make himself impossible to drop. He has played very little cricket and has the age after him. If he shows good resilience this time around, who knows, he might get the longer rope at an important number three position for England. With around 50 minutes remaining in the session, Michael Neser replaces Mitchell Starc. Two slips and a gully for Bethell.
- Ben Duckett 14 (15)
- Jacob Bethell 3 (19)
Scott Boland to Ben Duckett, Good length on the pads, Ben Duckett tucks this to square leg for no run.
Scott Boland to Jacob Bethell, On a length around off, Jacob Bethell blocks this around cover and takes one.
Scott Boland to Jacob Bethell, Short pitched, angling back into the batter. Jacob Bethell keeps it out.
Scott Boland to Jacob Bethell, Hard length, on middle and leg. Jacob Bethell defends this around mid-wicket.
Scott Boland to Jacob Bethell, Good length on middle and off, Jacob Bethell blocks this out.
Scott Boland to Jacob Bethell, Boland comes around the stumps, bowls it around off. Jacob Bethell prods in front and blocks.
- Ben Duckett 14 (14)
- Jacob Bethell 2 (14)
Mitchell Starc to Ben Duckett, Yorker on off, Ben Duckett blocks this around mid on.
Mitchell Starc to Ben Duckett, Good length, wide of off, Ben Duckett leaves it.
Mitchell Starc to Jacob Bethell, Good length on the pads, Jacob Bethell tucks this to fine leg for one.
Mitchell Starc to Jacob Bethell, Hard length on the pads, Jacob Bethell tucks this to mid-wicket.
Mitchell Starc to Ben Duckett, Good length on the pads, Ben Duckett tucks this through square leg for one.
Mitchell Starc to Ben Duckett, Back of a length around off, Ben Duckett presses in front and looks to block but the ball shapes away and beats Duckett.
- Jacob Bethell 1 (12)
- Ben Duckett 13 (10)
Scott Boland to Jacob Bethell, Good length, going across the batter. Jacob Bethell presses in front and goes with soft hands at it. The ball catches an outside edge and drops short of the fielder at second slip.
Scott Boland to Jacob Bethell, Full and wide of off, Jacob Bethell shoulders his arms at it.
Scott Boland to Jacob Bethell, Good length, wide of off, Jacob Bethell leaves it.
Scott Boland to Jacob Bethell, A touch full but down the leg again. Jacob Bethell comes inside the line and leaves it.
Scott Boland to Jacob Bethell, Good length wide down the leg. Jacob Bethell leaves it.
Scott Boland to Jacob Bethell, Back of a length around off, Jacob Bethell pokes at it but gets beaten.
- Ben Duckett 13 (10)
- Jacob Bethell 1 (6)
Mitchell Starc to Ben Duckett, FOUR! That'll give a lot of confidence to Ben Duckett. Pitched up, wide of off, Ben Duckett strides to the pitch of the delivery and drives this all along the ground through the cover region for the second boundary of this over.
Mitchell Starc to Jacob Bethell, On a length around off, Jacob Bethell dabs this in front of cover and takes one.
Mitchell Starc to Jacob Bethell, Back of a length around off, Jacob Bethell prods in front and keeps it out.
Mitchell Starc to Ben Duckett, Good length on the pads, Ben Duckett flicks this away for one.
Mitchell Starc to Ben Duckett, Good length around off, Ben Duckett keeps it out with a front foot block.
Mitchell Starc to Ben Duckett, FOUR! Short and wide of off, Ben Duckett hops up on is toes, leans back and just uses the pace to guide this over the slips cordon for a boundary.
- Jacob Bethell 0 (4)
- Ben Duckett 4 (6)
Scott Boland to Jacob Bethell, Edged, but safe! Skids low on the bounce as it lands on the seam, full and around off. Jacob Bethell tries to defend away from his body, but he is undone by the lack of bounce and only manages an underedge on the bounce to the keeper.
Scott Boland to Jacob Bethell, Back of a length, on the stumps, Bethell tucks it to the mid-wicket region. Duckett is off for a run, but Jacob sends him back on a sharp call.
Scott Boland to Jacob Bethell, Shoots up from a hard length, on middle, Jacob Bethell gets on the front foot to block, but the ball grazes off the inside edge and pings him on the box.
Scott Boland to Ben Duckett, Fuller than a length, on off, nipping in. Ben gets a thick inside edge onto the pads and the ball rolls in front of point for a single.
Scott Boland to Ben Duckett, Kicks up a bit, on a length, on middle, Ben negotiates it and fends it to the leg side.
Scott Boland to Ben Duckett, Good length, on middle and leg, tucked across to widish square leg.
Scott Boland to bowl from the other end.
Match Statistics
Venue
Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), Sydney
