Bethell slams maiden century to leave final Ashes Test on knife edge
A resolute and chanceless maiden Test century from Jacob Bethell has given England a glimmer of hope, but Australia remains in a commanding position heading into the final day of the fifth Ashes Test in Sydney.
The 22-year-old Bethell stood tall amid a collapse, finishing day four unbeaten on 142 as England reached 302-8, holding a precarious lead of 119 runs. Matthew Potts is the other not-out batter at the crease.
Bethell's magnificent innings, coming off 162 balls, rescued England after they faced a daunting 183-run first-innings deficit. He formed crucial partnerships with Ben Duckett (42) and Harry Brook (42) to first erase the deficit and then build a slender advantage. Remarkably, this was Bethell's first century in first-class cricket, his previous best being 96.
However, the momentum shifted dramatically after Bethell reached his milestone. Part-time off-spinner Beau Webster, exploiting increasing turn from the pitch, removed Brook lbw and Will Jacks in quick succession. A calamitous run-out accounted for Jamie Smith (24), and a hobbling Ben Stokes, who had limped off earlier with a groin injury, could only manage a single before edging Webster to slip.
Australia, who chose not to play a specialist spinner, found an unlikely weapon in Webster, who finished with 3-51. "I certainly didn't think I would impact with spin this game," Webster admitted after play.
The day began with Australia adding 23 runs to their overnight total before being dismissed for 567, built on the foundations of Travis Head's 163 and Steve Smith's 138. England's chase then suffered an immediate setback when Mitchell Starc trapped Zak Crawley lbw in the first over for his 29th wicket of the series.
While Bethell proved immovable, wickets fell regularly at the other end. Joe Root, after a first-innings 160, managed only six from 37 balls before falling to the relentless Scott Boland.
England now requires a miraculous last-day stand between Bethell and the tail to set a competitive target, followed by an extraordinary bowling performance to prevent Australia from securing a 4-1 series victory. Bethell's coming-of-age knock offers a significant positive for the future, but it may only delay the inevitable in this final Test.
