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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.
Beau Webster to Jacob Bethell, Good length around off, Jacob Bethell blocks this off his front foot.
One big man replaces another. Here's Beau Webster into the attack, replacing Cameron Green from the Paddington End.
- Jacob Bethell 76 (123)
- Harry Brook 12 (12)
Michael Neser to Jacob Bethell, Full and on the pads, Jacob Bethell flicks this through mid-wicket for one.
Michael Neser to Jacob Bethell, Hard length, on top of off, Jacob Bethell rocks onto his back foot and blocks.
Michael Neser to Jacob Bethell, On a length around off, Jacob Bethell thumps this back to the bowler.
Michael Neser to Jacob Bethell, Good length on middle and leg, Jacob Bethell blocks this to the right of Usman Khawaja at mid-wicket.
Michael Neser to Jacob Bethell, On a length around the pads, Jacob tucks this to mid-wicket for no run.
Michael Neser to Jacob Bethell, Hard length, on top of off, Jacob Bethell blocks this out.
- Harry Brook 12 (12)
- Jacob Bethell 75 (117)
Cameron Green to Harry Brook, FOUR! Brook created room for himself and found the fence. Short, around middle and leg, rearing up. Harry Brook moves away and exposes the stumps and looks to slash square on the off side, but gets an outside edge that lobs over the keeper and races to the fence behind for four. 14 runs off the over.
Cameron Green to Jacob Bethell, Good length around off, Jacob Bethell works this through mid-wicket for one.
5 Penalty runs awarded to England.
Cameron Green to Jacob Bethell, FIVE RUNS! Short pitched, angling away from the batter with extra bounce. Jacob Bethell leaves it. Carey tries to gather the ball with the fingers pointing upward, but the ball dips on him and he gets a stinging blow on his left fingers. The ball then deflects behind him and rolls onto the helmet. Five penalty runs added to the English tally. Carey looks in some pain and shakes it off for now. He has hardly missed anything behind the stumps this entire Ashes. Teams are permitted to keep spare helmets on the field for the wicketkeeper and close-in fielders, with the proviso that if the ball strikes a helmet, the batting side is awarded five penalty runs.
Cameron Green to Harry Brook, Short again, on off, Harry Brook pulls this flat and into the surface. Gets it past mid-wicket, diving to his right for one.
Cameron Green to Jacob Bethell, Short pitched, on leg, Jacob Bethell pulls this to deep backward square leg for one.
Cameron Green to Jacob Bethell, Full and wide of off, Jacob Bethell leans low and cuts this to the right of Usman Khawaja at deep third for two.
- Jacob Bethell 71 (113)
- Harry Brook 7 (10)
Michael Neser to Jacob Bethell, Short and wide of off, Jacob Bethell jams this around point for a single.
Michael Neser to Jacob Bethell, Good length, around off, Jacob Bethell defends this off his front foot.
Michael Neser to Harry Brook, Good length, onto the pads, Harry Brook flicks this through square leg and takes one.
Michael Neser to Harry Brook, Good length on the pads, Harry Brook tucks this through mid-wicket for a couple more.
Michael Neser to Harry Brook, Good length on off, Harry Brook tucks this to mid-wicket for no run.
Michael Neser to Harry Brook, Good length around off, Harry Brook punches this to the right of the fielder at sweeper cover for two more runs.
Michael Neser (8-0-26-1) is back on and replaces Scott Boland from the Randwick End.
- Jacob Bethell 70 (111)
- Harry Brook 2 (6)
Cameron Green to Jacob Bethell, Hard length on off, Jacob Bethell defends this well off his front foot.
Cameron Green to Jacob Bethell, FOUR! This time off the back foot punch. Geez, this lad is showing some class in chaos around him. Good length on off, Jacob Bethell gets right behind the line of it and smashes this through the right of mid-off for a boundary more.
Cameron Green to Jacob Bethell, FOUR! That's been smashed away in the gap for four. Short pitched, on middle and off, Jacob Bethell gets quickly onto his back foot and pulls this in front of square on leg, towards the deep mid-wicket region for four runs.
Cameron Green to Harry Brook, Good length on middle and off, Harry Brook punches this through cover for one.
One thing worth noting is that Bethell has never made a first-class hundred. In fact, his highest first-class score is 96, which came during England's tour of New Zealand in 2024, in the second Test. So, if Bethell goes on to reach three figures, his top two highest scores in first-class cricket would be from Tests! Interesting. And this kid is just 22.
Cameron Green to Harry Brook, Short pitched, on middle and leg. Harry Brook looks to leave it but the ball hits him on his hands and rolls back to the keeper.
Cameron Green to Jacob Bethell, Short and wide of off, Jacob Bethell cuts this to deep third for one.
- Harry Brook 1 (4)
- Jacob Bethell 61 (107)
Scott Boland to Harry Brook, Good length, on off, Harry Brook defends this underneath his eyeline.
Scott Boland to Harry Brook, Good length on off, Harry Brook punches this crisply to Marnus Labuschagne at extra cover.
Scott Boland to Harry Brook, Good length around off, Harry Brook gets right behind it and keeps it out.
Scott Boland to Jacob Bethell, On a length, around the pads, Jacob Bethell flicks this to fine leg for a single.
Scott Boland to Jacob Bethell, Short and on off, Jacob Bethell dabs this out.
Scott Boland to Harry Brook, Back of a length on off, Harry Brook dabs this past the right of the fielder at gully for one.
- Jacob Bethell 60 (105)
- Harry Brook 0 (0)
Cameron Green to Jacob Bethell, Good length on off, Jacob Bethell blocks this out.
Cameron Green to Jacob Bethell, FOUR BYES! Short pitched, on off, swings away from the keeper after leaving the batter. Alex Carey, already dives across to his right, but the ball shapes away late on him and beats him to race away to the fence for four extras.
Cameron Green to Jacob Bethell, Good length, around off, Jacob Bethell leaves it.
Cameron Green to Jacob Bethell, FOUR! As solid as it could be. Back of a length around off, Jacob Bethell rocks onto his back foot and punches this right through the gap at cover to his right for a boundary.
Cameron Green to Jacob Bethell, Full and wide of off, Jacob Bethell leaves it all alone.
Cameron Green to Jacob Bethell, Back of a length, around off, Jacob Bethell gets into two thoughts, one to punch or second to leave it and decides the right one and leaves it.
A massive, massive blow for England. Root walks off disappointed. Is this the last time we have seen the English maestro bat on Aussie soil? Only time will tell. But for now, he ends this Ashes with 400 runs to his name. Harry Brook, the third-highest run scorer of the series so far, walks in at number 5.
- Joe Root 6 (37)
- Jacob Bethell 56 (99)
Scott Boland to Joe Root, OUT! LBW! Joe Root has been trapped right in front of the stumps. Boland bowls it from wide of the crease, angling it into the batter. Joe Root covers the line, and looks to work it straight but fails to get anything on the ball as he plays all over it. The ball nips back in sharply and goes on to hit Root on his front pad. A loud appeal by the Australians as one and the umpire, Chris Gaffaney, raises his finger. Joe Root, reluctantly, sends this upstairs for a review. But it looks really adjacent. And indeed. Two reds followed by an umpire's call with the ball projected to clip the top of the leg stump. England do not lose a review, but they lose Joe Root on 6 (37). The tourists are 117/3, trailing by 66 runs.
Scott Boland to Joe Root, Hard length, once again, on leg. Joe Root blocks this to mid-wicket.
Scott Boland to Joe Root, Good length, wide of off, Joe Root gets it chopped off the under-edge towards gully.
Webster is seen loosening up. Might as well get a spell shortly.
Scott Boland to Joe Root, On a length around middle and off, Joe Root defends this out.
Scott Boland to Joe Root, Good length, on off. Joe Root pushes this to mid off for no run.
Scott Boland to Joe Root, Hard length, on top of off. Joe Root keeps it out.
- Jacob Bethell 56 (99)
- Joe Root 6 (31)
Mitchell Starc to Jacob Bethell, That's a maiden by Starc. Short pitched, on off, Jacob Bethell leaves it.
Match Statistics
Venue
Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), Sydney
