Jacob Bethell produced a stunning maiden Test century to drag the Ashes finale into a fifth day, but with only two wickets left, England’s hopes now rest almost entirely on the 22-year-old after another dramatic collapse at the SCG.
Bethell finished unbeaten on a composed 142* off 229 balls, showing maturity beyond his years as wickets kept tumbling around him. England closed Day 4 on 302/8, leading Australia by 119 runs, still short of setting a truly testing fourth-innings target on a Sydney surface now offering sharp turn.
England were firmly placed at 219/3 and beginning to dream when Harry Brook’s fluent 42 ended lbw to Beau Webster. From there, the innings unraveled quickly. Will Jacks fell for a second-ball duck, skipper Ben Stokes, clearly restricted by injury, edged to slip for just one, and Brydon Carse joined the procession soon after. A careless run-out of Jamie Smith only deepened the damage.
Through it all, Bethell stood tall. Calm. Structured. Selective. He mixed classical cover drives with ruthless pull shots and handled the short ball with authority. His century arrived in bold fashion, skipping down the track to launch Webster into the stands after an agonizing spell stuck on 99. His celebration said everything. So did the emotion in the stands.
Australia’s hero was Webster, already impressive with 71* with the bat earlier in the day, who then switched from seam to off-spin to claim 3/51 and rip open England’s middle order. Scott Boland (2/34) offered relentless discipline, while the turning SCG pitch, ironically, without a specialist spinner selected, brought Australia right back into control.
Earlier, Australia powered to 567, with Steve Smith (138) and Travis Head (163) ensuring a massive first-innings advantage of 183 runs. England’s bowlers worked tirelessly but were worn down, while Stokes eventually left the field injured during the Australian innings, a moment that continues to shape this contest.
England now need Bethell to finish the job alone on Day 5. Australia, already 3-1 up, are perfectly placed to close out the series and seal a 4-1 victory, while one last storyline remains, Sydney favourite Usman Khawaja may yet receive a fairytale final-day farewell.
Whatever happens next, one truth is clear: Jacob Bethell arrived today.
And the Ashes will go the distance, one last time.
