While Zak Crawley, Harry Brook and Jamie Smith polished off their records during England’s second innings as some of the dumbest batsmen to represent their country on the Sydney cricket ground, Bethell was all poise and orthodoxy, composure and concentration.
He looks like a complete Test batsman, but everyone has that from time to time. The difference with Bethell was that he never shouldered his hands to direct bat, never decided to take the wicket before the ball was bowled, never attempted the pickleball repertoire that characterized his team’s batting on this tour, and when Smith attempted a wildly optimistic single, it was Bethell who assessed the situation and said no.
Jacob Bethell looks a complete Test batsman.Credit: Getty Images
The premise of this excellent innings is that the Ashes were not at stake and the SCG pitch fulfilled Cricket Australia’s hopes for the five-day game. Australia’s attack was starting to show its age. England batted from behind in the match. But despite all that being said, Bethell revealed that his Noosa dance moves were a disguise for a folded old head.
While England’s batting was usually one step away from self-destruction, Bethell was remarkable for what he didn’t do. He just waited for the bad balls to hit, defended the good ones and took singles to shoot the strike when he could. Unusual for a player from either side in this freakish summer, he made the batting look uncomplicated and old-fashioned.
England were not just playing for pride or seriousness; the result remains on offer and Bethell’s steady stay in the wicket kept England’s slim hopes alive.
Loading
Like earlier in the series, whenever Australia’s nerves frayed, during Wednesday’s game England mostly calmed them again with an error. Brook and Smith’s absences were a fitting end to their 2025-26 expeditions, with Joe Root out by the narrowest of margins and Ben Stokes devastated by injury. Meanwhile, the 22-year-old played on the day, earning a standing ovation from team-mates who may have been applauding their own embarrassment.
It bodes well for the competitiveness of the next Ashes. In times past, England built success from the wreckage of failed tours to Australia. For 2027, they have young batsmen to build a total around, and if Bethell’s performance in Sydney is any example, they could take a hint that they don’t need to reinvent the wheel.
The next meeting is a long way off, but Australia, so excited by one magical hour from Sam Konstas 12 months ago, have been left wondering what they would give for the 22-year-old capable of the six hours Bethell brought here.
Leave a Reply