Sydney: England´s Jacob Bethell called it “very special” after cracking a flawless maiden century during the fifth Ashes Test against Australia on Wednesday in front of his family.
The 22-year-old powered to his hundred in style off 162 balls in Sydney, raising his bat towards his emotional family in the stands. He was unbeaten on 142 at stumps, steering England to 302-8 in their second innings and a 119-run lead on day four.
Remarkably, it was not just a maiden Test ton but the only one he has scored in red-ball cricket, with his previous best 96 against New Zealand. “It´s pretty special, it´s not really sunk in yet. I haven´t really had time to kind of reflect on it,” Bethell said.
“But to do that and have the family there was very special. “My dad was a cricketer so he knows how it feels to be out there batting, but I don´t think that stops him from getting any less nervous.”
Over the past 50 years only Alastair Cook, David Gower and Ollie Pope were younger when they scored their first Test century for England. Bethell made his Test bow against New Zealand in Christchurch in late 2024, crunching half-centuries in each of the three Tests during the series after incumbent number three Pope slid down the order to keep wicket.
His progress was then hampered by injury and Pope hitting form back at three. But Bethell was recalled for the fourth Test in Melbourne to replace Pope, scoring a gritty 40 in difficult batting conditions with the number three position now his to lose. Asked if finally getting a first-class hundred was a weight off his shoulders, the confident Bethell replied: “Not really, to be honest, it was always coming.
