Bethell shines for England but Webster spins Australia to brink of victory

Beau Webster said he was glad he didn’t “throw the toys out of the cot” after being overlooked earlier in the summer after a thrilling contribution with both bat and ball on the penultimate day of the Ashes brought victory in the fifth Test within reach for Australia.

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 allrounder Webster underlined the value of spin on a deteriorating surface.

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, which is likely to prevent him from bowling in the fourth innings.

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. A year after his Test debut at the same venue, it was a timely reminder of his ability.

“Coming into the summer I thought I was as good as anyone in that squad to be in the XI in Perth,” Webster said. “I’ve got full faith in the selectors. The message was, ‘You haven’t really been dropped, you just can’t be fitted into this XI’.

“I was disappointed not to play, no doubt, as everyone is outside the XI, but I knew I was going to stay ready. It certainly wasn’t throwing the toys out of the cot and sooking around.

“If you’d told me I was going to take three-fer with spin, I’d have taken that. It was satisfying to get some runs.”

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.

In the 50th over of England’s second innings, Webster removed Harry Brook for 42 with a gorgeous delivery that spun sharply from outside off stump and struck Brook on the back leg. Australia reviewed the on-field not out decision, with DRS showing three reds and prompting a jubilant celebration from Webster and his teammates.

When Will Jacks slogged Webster into the leg side and was superbly caught for a duck by Green – who had earlier dropped Ben Duckett at second slip – England slipped to 5-219, their lead trimmed to 36.

Webster finished the day with 3-51 from 13 overs, his best figures in a Test, to push Australia to the cusp of a victory that would secure a 4-1 series scoreline. Provided there is no day-five disaster, Thursday shapes as a modest run chase.

“They’re always on tap if you need ’em,” said Webster of his off breaks. “[I was] lucky enough to get a bit of rough outside off, and got a few to bite.”

England’s shining light was Bethell, who reached stumps unbeaten on 142 despite being involved in a disastrous run-out with Jamie Smith (26).

Bethell played just four first-class matches last year, making scores of 20 and 12 for Warwickshire against Somerset in June before playing the fifth Test between England and India at the Oval.

He featured for the England Lions against Australia A last month before getting the call-up for the Boxing Day Test.

Highly regarded within England’s set-up – largely for his white-ball prowess – Bethell has been limited in the amount of red-ball cricket he has played.

“They’re always on tap if you need ’em.”

Beau Webster on his handy off-breaks

“I do like playing for Warwickshire and going back home to them, but I think it doesn’t really have to be first-class cricket if I am playing cricket all year round,” Bethell said at a press conference after play on Tuesday.

Bethell’s 673 runs at 23.17 from 20 matches for Warwickshire hardly pointed to a maiden Test century in Australia, though the peroxide blond hair and free-flowing approach gave Kevin Pietersen 2005 Ashes vibes.

Coming in at No.3, Bethell became the fifth Englishman – and first specialist batsman – to score his maiden first-class hundred in a Test, following Henry Wood, Jack Russell, Stuart Broad and Gus Atkinson. The last Australian to achieve the feat was Mitchell Johnson against South Africa in 2009.

Ian Botham labelled Bethell a “star of the future”, while Broad described him as a “diamond” England had unearthed.

That the century came in a dead rubber is a minor asterisk, but Bethell will return to Australia better equipped and armed with the tools to counter an attack that could look very different next time.

Only Alastair Cook, at 21 years and 357 days, has scored an Ashes hundred for England in Australia at a younger age.

“It’s pretty special. It’s not really sunk in yet,” Bethell said. “To be honest, it was always coming. It’s nice to get over the milestone.”

The state of play means Usman Khawaja could bat again in his final match but he told the ABC after play that he was unlikely to open the batting.

“I’d just like us to get these runs. It’s not going to be easy,” Khawaja said.