SCG Test day four as it happened: Bethell’s maiden century stalls Australia win

Jacob Bethell’s outstanding maiden first-class hundred was the glue in an admirable England fightback at the SCG, before a three-wicket haul from Beau Webster underlined the value of spin on a deteriorating surface in the final Ashes Test.

England avoided the prospect of an innings defeat by compiling 8-302 in their second innings, a lead of 119 runs, thanks largely to a coming-of-age century from 22-year-old Bethell, who became the youngest England batsman to score a Test hundred against Australia at the SCG.

The only other players to post a Test century at the SCG before turning 23 this century are Salman Butt (2005), KL Rahul (2015), Matt Renshaw (2017) and Rishabh Pant (2019).

Australia had earlier been bowled out for 567, with England captain Ben Stokes forced from the field with an adductor injury.

Webster’s bid to take Cameron Green’s place in the Australian XI received a major boost on Wednesday when he struck 71 not out from No.9 before snaring two wickets in three balls with his underrated off breaks to halt England’s momentum.

Australia have been heavily criticised for not playing a spinner and the sight of Webster’s double-wicket over was evidence that, even for a part-timer, there was enough purchase in the SCG surface to justify the inclusion of a tweaker.

This was just a taster. Read the full stumps report here.

Bethell, who will resume tomorrow on 142, experiences another first: a standing ovation at the SCG. The young England No.3 raises his bat to acknowledge the crowd and heads in with the rest. Australia’s players, too, have made a beeline to shake his hand.

So, what went down today? Feels a long time since Australia put 49 runs on top of their day-three total and set England 183 to chase. And it feels a long time since 183 seemed a large target for England. When Crawley became Starc’s 29th wicket for the series in the first over of the tourists’ second innings, 183 seemed possibly unachievable. But Duckett and Bethell steadied and then chipped away together, before Bethell became the day’s headline with a maiden first-class hundred.

Good thing, too, because he took the spotlight off Root (6), Jacks (0), Smith (26) and Carse (16), the yielders of silly wickets. It is in spite of such silliness that England will continue to bat on day five, with one wicket to fall before Australia kick off their second innings.

Could be a short day. Could be a long day. Tom Decent’s stumps report has just landed so I’ll pop that in here and bid you farewell until tomorrow. Same time, same place.

Boland decides to make his last two balls to Bethell absolute snorters, and the final one prompts a half-appeal for a caught-behind. I should note that Boland is the one appealing, while Carey has nothing to say about it whatsoever.

England 8-302 (Bethell 142, Potts 0) after 75 overs

It was 3-37 half an hour ago, and it is challenging to argue at this point that Australia were right in eschewing a frontline spinner for this Test. In fact, if I were a member of a high-school debating team assigned to argue the no-spinner perspective, it feels highly likely we would lose the interschool tournament. I have never been a high-school debater, which I realise leaves this statement lacking in credibility. But the truth is it has taken some spin to pick this innings apart.

England tick over the 300 mark with about five minutes remaining until stumps.

England 8-301 (Bethell 141, Potts 0), lead by 118 runs after 73 overs

England are putting out another decent catalogue of dumb dismissals. Seemingly unthreatened by Australia’s part-timers with the old ball, the visitors give up a wicket. For the second time this game, Jamie Smith is out in ridiculous fashion. This time, he’s the fall guy after a mix-up with Jacob Bethell. Smith was about two-thirds up the pitch when he was turned back by Bethell. Jake Weatherald’s throw on the bounce from square leg was perfect for Marnus Labuschagne to whip the bails off. Smith wasn’t in the picture. Fancy getting out twice in the game while Labuschagne is bowling.

Awful mix-up as Smith commits to a run and is caught short by Weatherald. Labuschagne is being a bowler again, and delivering to Bethell, not Smith. Bethell gets it away but it’s a 50-50 on whether to make a run for it. Bethell seems to decide yes, he will go, before promptly deciding that actually no, he won’t. Unfortunately for Smith, he does not notice this change of mind until he’s halfway up the pitch, and an alert Weatherald is quick hands at square leg and pegs it to Labuschagne, who stumps Smith well short of his crease.

Gone for 26.

Stokes to bat.

Out of the rabbit hole we go because the runs are still coming at the SCG.

And hang on … !