\u2018To have my family here was special\u2019<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s the man himself as Jacob Bethell speaks to TNT Sports.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cIt still hasn\u2019t really sunk in. To have my family here was special. There\u2019s something about cricket \u2014 I was on 99, they bring up the field and then suddenly you\u2019re like, oh! But nobody has more control over it [reaching a century] than you do.<\/p>\n
\u201cI found a real nice zone in terms of scoring. That [century] will give me the world of confidence, mainly because people will stop talking about it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018Bethell is the future of English batting\u2019<\/p>\n
Alastair Cook has been speaking about Jacob Bethell\u2019s brilliant knock on TNT Sports.<\/p>\n
Cook said: \u201cThere\u2019s been so much talk about him. We must give the selectors some credit as they\u2019ve seen something in him. He\u2019s had to work for his chance but my word has he taken it. He\u2019s just shown the future of English batting. There\u2019s a lot of Australians here purring at this.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Justin Langer, the former Australia player and head coach, adds: \u201cHe plays like Joe Root and all the greats play. You wear them down, and you cash in.\u201d<\/p>\n
Elizabeth Ammon: So that is stumps and this Ashes series is going into a final day. But today was the day that Jacob Bethell proved, despite his lack of first-class experience, that he really belongs on the international stage. He has given England a chance in this Test and it has been an innings of class and determination against a relentless Australian bowling attack. <\/p>\n
Beau Webster finished the day with three wickets and played an absolutely crucial role with his part-time spin in just his eighth Test appearance. It could be a fascinating final day.<\/p>\n
That catch by Steve Smith to dismiss Brydon Carse was his 215th in Test cricket \u2014 just one behind Joe Root, who has the all-time record.<\/p>\n
Elizabeth Ammon: Slightly curious tactics from Steve Smith to keep bowling the part-timers but after allowing the Brydon Carse-Jacob Bethell partnership to milk 29 in 4.4 overs, he\u2019s turned back to a frontline bowler in Scott Boland. <\/p>\n
Please enable cookies and other technologies to view this content. You can update your cookies preferences any time using privacy manager.<\/a><\/p>\n Enable cookiesAllow cookies once<\/p>\n It immediately pays dividends as Carse edges to Steve Smith at slip. Alex Carey was up to the stumps keeping Carse a bit stuck on the crease.<\/p>\n Elizabeth Ammon: England\u2019s opening partnership of Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett added 191 in ten innings. Only one pair who have opened together that many times in a series have done worse \u2014 John Dyson and Graeme Wood, who made 186 in ten innings in the 1981 Ashes.<\/p>\n The lowest aggregate opening partnership for all teams in a five-match series is 197 by Australia in 2019 \u2014 David Warner played the whole series and made 95 \u2014 Cameron Bancroft made 44 in the first two matches and was then dropped in favour of Marcus Harris who made 58 in three. <\/p>\n Elizabeth Ammon: So Ben Stokes finishes his series with the bat with 184 runs at an average of 18.40 \u2014 well under what he would have wanted or expected of himself. Jamie Smith finishes with 211 at 23.44. <\/p>\n With the wicket of Stokes, Jacob Bethell now has to take on a new role \u2014 working out how to shepherd the tail and try to get the lead up over 100 and beyond.<\/p>\n Ben Stokes was clearly in trouble having suffered that earlier injury and his restricted range of movement has done for him here.<\/p>\n Please enable cookies and other technologies to view this content. You can update your cookies preferences any time using privacy manager.<\/a><\/p>\n Enable cookiesAllow cookies once<\/p>\n The captain, unable to move his feet, nicks the ball into the slips where the grateful Steve Smith takes a sharp catch. England slump to 267 for seven.<\/p>\n It\u2019s an absolute disaster for Jamie Smith with the first ball after the drinks break, which just about sums up his tour. <\/p>\n Please enable cookies and other technologies to view this content. You can update your cookies preferences any time using privacy manager.<\/a><\/p>\n Enable cookiesAllow cookies once<\/p>\n There\u2019s a mix-up between him and Jacob Bethell after the latter pulls Marnus Labuschagne round the corner and the pair engage in a mid-pitch dance. The throw comes in to Labuschagne at the non-striker\u2019s end and away the bails go.<\/p>\n CAMERON SPENCER\/GETTY IMAGES<\/p>\n After a quiet Travis Head over, Steve Smith has thrown the ball to Marnus Labuschagne to bowl at Jamie Smith. It\u2019s top-tier trolling from the Australia captain, to be fair.<\/p>\n A couple of easy singles, and Smith, who will have been having nightmares about Labuschagne, survives.<\/p>\n Simon Wilde: However this Test match finishes \u2014 and an England defeat certainly looks the likeliest outcome \u2014 it will be remembered for a brilliant maiden Test century by Jacob Bethell. <\/p>\n Please enable cookies and other technologies to view this content. You can update your cookies preferences any time using privacy manager.<\/a><\/p>\n Enable cookiesAllow cookies once<\/p>\n Great things have long been expected of him and he has delivered with an exquisitely crafted innings that began early when Zak Crawley again fell in Mitchell Starc\u2019s first over. Bethell always looked in control and dealt calmly with the short ball, even after he was clattered on the side of the helmet on 27 by a Cameron Green bouncer. He shared stands of 81 with Ben Duckett, 32 with Joe Root and 102 with Harry Brook to take England to a position of relative serenity at 219 for three \u2014 a lead of 36 \u2014 before Brook and Will Jacks fell in the same over to Beau Webster\u2019s off-breaks. <\/p>\n The day got off to a bad start when Ben Stokes left the field inside the first half hour with an adductor injury and he did not bat in his usual position. Josh Tongue removed Steve Smith for 139 and Starc for five before Jacks ended Australia\u2019s innings at 567, a lead of 183. <\/p>\n![\"Australia](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/\/5178f4b0-1746-4eea-98b0-22a44765946a.jpg\")
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