Jacob Bethell admitted the moment had been “always coming”, yet the relief was obvious once the Barbados-born left-hander finally raised his bat at the SCG. His unbeaten 142 – his first hundred in any form of first-class cricket – ensured the fifth Ashes Test will reach a final morning, with England still nursing faint ambitions of reducing the series deficit to 3-2.
Selected at No.3 only after Ollie Pope’s lean run, Bethell did not shy away from the awkward back-story. Twelve months ago he opted for an IPL deal with Royal Challengers Bengaluru rather than return home for the one-off Test against Zimbabwe – a decision widely viewed as a gamble with his England future.
“I wouldn’t say I gave it away at the IPL,” he told Fox Cricket. “That experience I had over there was unbelievable… I came back a better cricketer.”
That conviction had already been tested. Bethell’s three half-centuries on debut in New Zealand in late 2024 were impressive, but Jamie Smith’s return from paternity leave and Jordan Cox’s recovery from a thumb injury pushed him down England’s pecking order. Pope’s 171 against Zimbabwe appeared to slam the door completely. When Pope followed up with 108 at Headingley in the first Test against India, Bethell spent the next month carrying drinks and fretting about rust.
He eventually replaced an injured Ben Stokes for the Oval Test and looked short of rhythm. “I had a little opportunity again through injury in the summer against India, and didn’t take it, so it’s nice to score some runs now,” he said.
The turning point may have come out of view. Six weeks on the fringes at the start of this Ashes tour allowed time to groove his method in the nets and during a Lions match against Australia A. “I actually wasn’t batting that well at the start of the series,” he admitted, “but that Lions game and the work in the nets really helped.”
Monday’s innings showed as much: compact footwork, patience against Nathan Lyon, then calculated aggression once the second new ball softened. Only when he swept Todd Murphy for four to move into the 140s did the normally understated 22-year-old permit himself a punch of the gloves.
Coach Brendon McCullum, typically understated, observed: “He’s earned this. The lad’s done the hard yards and he’s been honest about where he needed to improve.”
Analytically, Bethell’s innings underlined why England value his tempo. His scoring rate nudged 70 runs per 100 balls, yet he left or defended more than half the deliveries he faced from Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins in the first 20 overs. That balance – quick, not reckless – is what the selectors felt Pope had mislaid.
Whether this century secures Bethell the No.3 berth long-term remains open. Pope retains admirers within the set-up, while Smith’s return as wicketkeeper-batter creates another squeeze. Bethell is pragmatic. “I knew that I was coming in two places away: there was Jamie Smith … and then Coxy was the back-up batter that got injured. I knew that it’d be a tough decision to bring me back in place of someone else.”
For now, England’s focus is the immediate task. Australia, still 89 runs ahead with five wickets to prise out, start the fifth morning as favourites. Yet captain Joe Root spoke of belief. “We haven’t flown all this way to leave 4-1. There’s still cricket left in this series.”
Bethell echoed that sentiment: “We’re driven to leave Australia at 3-2.” Modest words, perhaps, but after two seasons of waiting, the young left-hander has demonstrated why England kept his name inked in their notebooks.
