Australia v England: Bethell hits century before Ashes brain fades let hosts back in – live reaction | Ashes 2025-26
Key events
Stumps: England 302-8 – Lead by 119 runs (Bethell 142, Potts 0)
That’s it for the day. What a day it has been. Jacob Bethell and Matt Potts survive to the close. What a knock from Bethell, he walks off unbeaten and receives handshakes from the Australia team. Take his runs away and it is another disaster for England, as it is they lead by 119 with two wickets remaining and take the Sydney Test match into its final day.
“The target that Australia failed to reach at Headingley in 1981 was 130. Just saying”
Stop it, Kim Thonger.
74th over: England 302-8 (Bethell 142, Potts 0) Bethell takes a single off the first ball of the over with a skewed flay into the off side. Potts then blocks out the rest from Webster.
Me old mucka Tim Sowula emails in:
“Morning Jimbo. Insane TNT moments for the Stokes wicket:
A few balls after Smith’s run out, Rob the lead commentator is fooled by the tv replay and commentates on that “oh no and Stokes is sent back, this is a carbon copy of the last run-out, Stokes is out…. (sheepish) Fortunately Alastair Cook is looking out the window, and he’s not out, that was a replay”. Cue a bit of gentle ribbing from Cook “well I hope you’ve woken up now” etc. Then Cook continues “But don’t panic everyone, Stokes is still here…” Next ball Stokes edges to first slip.”
I heard this live and it was an absolute stinker. Let’s just say the England team shouldn’t be the only ones doing a vigorous post mortem after the series.
73rd over: England 301-8 (Bethell 141, Potts 0) England bring up the 300, three runs accumulated by Bethell off Webster. Then yongster exuding calm despite all that has happened around him today.
72nd over: England 298-8 (Bethell 138, Potts 0) Bethell clips a single off Webster. England lead by 115, fifteen minutes left in the day. We’ll be coming back tomorrow… a victory of sorts…
71st over: England 298-8 (Bethell 137, Potts 0) We may see Bethell open the shoulders and go into white ball mode here.
Potts is the new man, England have two wickets left to eke out whatever they can, 22 year old Jacob Bethell is still in the middle on 137 not out.
WICKET! Brydon Carse c Smith b Boland 16 (England 297-8)
Gone! Boland does the business with his third ball, Carse edges to slip and Smith holds the catch.
70th over: England 296-7 (Bethell 136, Carse 16) Carse’s cameo continues, he bunts a four back past Webster for four more. England’s lead is up to 113 runs. Carse and Bethell have scored 29 runs in 4.4 overs… Steve Smith finally summons Scott Boland.
69th over: England 290-7 (Bethell 135, Carse 11) Carse blasts Travis Head down the ground for four to take England’s lead past 100. A single brings Bethell on strike. He rocks back and pulls for four more.
68th over: England 281-7 (Bethell 131, Carse 6) Bethell sweeps Webster behind square for four to take England’s lead to 99.
67th over: England 275-7 (Bethell 126, Carse 5) Labuschagne continues. Carse sees enough and swats a pull shot away for four. England have lost 4-48 from when Brook got out to Webster.
66th over: England 267-7 (Bethell 124, Carse 0) Brydon Carse is the new batter. Bethell is still there, can the tail support him as he tries to get England’s target over three figures? Webster completes a wicket maiden.
WICKET! Ben Stokes c Smith b Webster 1 (England 267-7)
Stokes is gone! He can barely move his feet and chops Webster off the back foot to the slips where Smith takes a sharp catch. England capitulating in sorry fashion once more.
65th over: England 267-6 (Bethell 123, Stokes ) Ben Stokes hobbles out to the middle. This will not be pretty. He looks like can barely move. The Smith/Bethell run out was a calamity, Bethell probably ball watching, called Smith through then aborted.
DON’T DO THAT! WICKET – Jamie Smith is run out! England 264-6
Well that is a sorry way for Jamie Smith’s tour to end. Bethell pulls Labuschagne but straight to Weatherald on the ‘45. A disastrous mix up sees Smith run out by a distance.
Colum Fordham emails in and speaks for many.
“In the interview after Australia’s innings Jacob Bethell came across as surprisingly mature and modest, saying he didn’t think he deserved his place on the strength of his previous innings. He had just bowled 15 overs and got the wicket of Travis Head.
His forty at the MCG showed promise but no one, least of all himself, would have expected a maiden test century in these conditions. His learning curve is off the charts.
It makes it all the more extraordinary that Brook and Jacks should have thrown their wickets away so naievely and cluelessly, disregarding the extraordinary maturity of the youngster.
In a dispiriting Ashes, Bethell is a much-needed ray of sunshine for English test cricket. And England can even dare to dream.”
64th over: England 264-5 (Bethell 123, Smith 26) Smith rocks back to carve Beau Webster for four, England’s lead is up to 81 runs. Ben Stokes prowls in his pads on the team balcony.
63rd over: England 257-5 (Bethell 120, Smith 22) Marnus runs in keenly and peppers the middle of the pitch with his medium pace dross. You can absolutely see why Steve Smith has summoned him though. Jamie Smith doesn’t blink this time,
Marnus Labuschagne is coming on to bowl at Jamie Smith. Gulp.
61st over: England 250-5 (Bethell 117, Smith 19) Smith glides Neser for four past gully to take England’s lead up to 67 runs. Without Stokes’ bowling in the fourth innings England were always going to struggle to contain Australia no matter what they set them but this does feel like another missed opportunity to go with all the others in this series.
60th over: England 245-5 (Bethell 116, Smith 15) Travis Head replaces Beau Webster, gentle spin that England work around for five runs off the over.
59th over: England 240-5 (Bethell 112, Smith 14) Neser skims one past Bethell’s edge, the batter then responds with a drive into the covers for a single. Alastair Cook on TNT is lamenting England’s nous. They could have easily set Australia 200 to win on the final day tomorrow, that looks a fair way off now.
58th over: England 239-5 (Bethell 111, Smith 14) England work Webster around for six easy and calm runs. Are you watching Brook and Jacks? Are you??
“Sigh, another brainless passage of play.” Writes Aditya echoing the sentiments of plenty of you in the OBO mailbag right now.
“I think a new Yakov Smirnov line is warranted for this England team: ‘In Bazball, you don’t play situation. Situation play you’.”
57th over: England 233-5 (Bethell 110, Smith 9) Neser nearly picks up Smith with a full ball nipping back but an inside edge saves the batter.
56th over: England 232-5 (Bethell 110, Smith 8) Four singles worked off Webster. England lead by 49 runs.
55th over: England 228-5 (Bethell 108, Smith 6) We’ve got 75 minutes until stumps. Hell knows what we’re in for before the close. Ben Stokes is padded up and looks likely to come in next. How will he play? Three hour vigil for about 12 runs or one legged blitzkrieg for old times sake? Place your bets.
Bethell clips Neser for two runs. What an hour he has had, maiden test century and then watching his teammates implode from the non-striker’s.
54th over: England 225-5 (Bethell 106, Smith 6) Smith drives Webster for four with a compact cover drive. Webster replies with a beauty that grips and spits past the edge and into Carey’s gloves.
53rd over: England 221-5 (Bethell 106, Smith 2) Smith punches a single off Starc. How hard must it be for Smith out there now given the noise after his first innings dismissal and in the immediate stink of that Will Jacks’s dismissal?
52nd over: England 220-5 (Bethell 106, Smith 1) Ben Stokes has his pads on it appears.
51st over: England 220-5 (Bethell 106, Smith 1) England are now effectively 38-5 and in danger of losing today. Remember when Jacob Bethell got a ton?
Jamie Smith comes to the crease… anything you can do…
WICKET! Will Jacks c Green b Webster 0 (England 219-5)
I cannot believe what I have just seen. Will Jacks is out to his second ball, a wild heave across the line is caught in the deep by Cam Green. That is utterly brainless. England have lost two wickets in the over to Beau Webster’s part-time off-spin.
Excuse me while I smash my laptop over my own head will you.
WICKET! Harry Brook lbw b Webster 42 (England 219-4)
Alas, Brook is gone. After a truly skittish few overs he goes back to cut a spinning ball from Beau Webster and is trapped in front. I’m out of words.
50th over: England 213-3 (Bethell 106, Brook 42) Phew. Everyone just gathers themselves after a pulsating twenty minutes. Harry Brook brings us all back down to earth with another step away and waft to Starc. Such a nothing shot and he was basically moonwalking whilst he was playing it.
“What is that?!” growls Jason Gillespie on TNT. Brook backs away again and hacks through the cordon for four. There is a sense of the inevitable here, Brook is not doing his talent justice.
Brook could actually learn something from the way Bethell has played, all clean line and crisp shapes. Measured class and calm, Bethell has pipped him to an Ashes ton. They are both so talented and will more than likely be the bedrock of England’s batting for the next decade. England lead by 36 and Ben Stokes is injured. Brook is acting captain, he needs to step up and strap his head on.
Jacob Bethell goes to a maiden Test century!
Steve Smith summons Beau Webster and the all-rounder is going to spear in some off spin. Two dots… the wait goes on. 23 deliveries in the 90s for Bethell. Breathe.
There it is! Jacob Bethell dances down the wicket and slots Webster over wide mid on for a one bounce four to bring up his maiden Test century! He removes his helmet and waves his bat calmly to his family in the stands, zinc across the nose and a satisfied but nonchalant smile on his face. He was the calmest person in the place. His mum and dad hug each other and share a special moment. Their boy has done it and in some style.
49th over: England 206-3 (Bethell 99, Brook 36) Behave Harry! Starc goes short and Brook aims a lazy waft over the slips but doesn’t connect. That would not have looked good had he feathered a tame catch behind. And again! Brook attempts the same shot off Starc’s fourth ball. A maiden from Starc with the final two balls speared down the leg side.
Right, here we go again. Boland to Bethell, the latter on 99.
48th over: England 206-3 (Bethell 99, Brook 36) Boland keeps Brook honest, pinning him on the crease with his unerring accuracy. Brook squirts an inside edge into the leg side for a single. Bethell has three ball against Scott Boland with 99 to his name. Deep breaths. All of the SCG is plugged in… DOT BALL. Bethell defends off his hip. Here comes Boland… DOT BALL. Bethell blocks on off stump, Boland is giving him nowt. The crowd cheer Boland in… immaculate from Boland. DOT BALL. Bethell remains on 99!
47th over: England 205-3 (Bethell 99, Brook 35) Bethell clips into the leg side to go to 99… my palms are sweaty. How are yours? Brook glides a single to bring Bethell back on strike with two balls left in the over. Is this the moment… his dad takes a deep breath and closes his eyes in the stands. Here comes Starc – phew a 90mpb short ball whistles past the helmet but Bethell drops his hands in time. Last ball of the over… Starc goes short once more and Bethell ducks the bouncer. What drama. England lead by 22 but that is very much the second most important story right at this very moment.
46th over: England 201-3 (Bethell 97, Brook 33) Brook gets a single off Boland’s first ball to bring Bethell on strike. He looks cool as anything but his ticker must be going like a castanet. Boland gives him nothing and beats him on the outside edge with a ball that nips away late. Maybe Bethell left it, we’ll give the benefit of the doubt. A single off the last ball means Bethell will keep strike and he now has his highest Test score, beating the 96 he got in New Zealand last winter. Oh look, Mitchell Starc is coming back into the attack…
45th over: England 199-3 (Bethell 96, Brook 33) Bethell rocks back and pulls Neser for four wide of mid on! He didn’t time it but got enough on it to beat the man in the deep. He is just one shot away from a maiden Test and First Class ton now. Four runs needed. He’s played magnificently with the odds well and truly stacked against him. The camera pans to his dad in the crowd looking incredibly nervous.
He’s just a shot away, he’s just a shot away!
44th over: England 195-3 (Bethell 92, Brook 33) Bethell moves into the nineties courtesy of four overthrows from Marnus! Boland’s incredibly thrifty figures suffer a needless boundary. A single takes the youngster to 92 and brings Brook on strike. Close! Boland nips one back in similar fashion to the ball he did Root with but Brook is saved by a meaty inside edge onto the pad. Four! Brook then dances down and whips the next ball over midwicket for four. Don’t go anywhere.
43rd over: England 186-3 (Bethell 87, Brook 28) Shot! Bethell leans on a length ball from Neser and eases it through the covers with high elbow for four runs. He really is a delight to watch. England bring the scores level and then move into the lead with nine runs in total off Neser’s over.
42nd over: England 177-3 (Bethell 81, Brook 25) Boland gets one to spit like a stroppy cobra, the ball rearing off a length and rasping past the edge of Brook’s bat. Carey shows off his lightning reflexes behind the stumps to take the ball in front of his face. Brook is beaten on the outside edge from a fuller ball, Boland is such a threat and has been all series long. Two singles off the over keep England ticking.
The players emerge for the final session of day four. Jacob Bethell is 21 runs away from a first Test and First Class century. He’ll have the indomitable Scott Boland to contend with first up. What can England set Australia? How will Harry Brook play? Will Bethell get three figures? Let’s find out.
Here’s a lovely bit of tea-time reading:
41st over: England 174-3 (Bethell 79, Brook 24) Harry Brook rocks back and larrups a wide ball from Beau Webster for four to take England into the tea break trailing by nine runs.
“Afternoon Jim, Gervase Greene here.”
4.14am here in deepest Sussex where I am Gervase but I’m splidding hairs. G’day.
“The SCG is such a wonderful ground to watch cricket. Not too massive, not too postage-stamp… just right, especially in this weather. OBO readers should know that seeing Scott Boland in the flesh is quite a revelation. Ball after ball, over after over, same-spot after same-spot… 135-137kph, and always threatening. We’ve all owned crap cars in our time – in my case, nothing but – and all I’ve ever wanted is a vehicle with Boland’s engine. He is quite remarkable.”
Beware the quiet man, he had a point to prove and it is fair to say he has done so in some style.
40th over: England 168-3 (Bethell 78, Brook 20) A throaty cheer goes up as Travis Head comes on for a on over of twirl. Trav tosses one up and Brook skips down to caress through cover for four. A drag down is carved for two and a brace of singles makes it eight off the over and England are just 15 adrift now. Brook and Bethell have racked up the fifty partnership in no time at all. We’ll have one more over until tea.
39th over: England 160-3 (Bethell 77, Brook 13) Beau Webster replaces the beleaguered Cam Green who seems to be constantly on the edge of tears despite or because of his IPL MEGABUCKS. Brook and Bethell rotate for a single each, if these two can bat through til stumps then England will have clawed themselves back in to the match with a day to go. Big if I hear you collectively groan.
38th over: England 157-3 (Bethell 75, Brook 12) Neser stitches together a maiden with a relentless attack on the top of off stump that Bethell negotiates with a straight blade and sound judgement. The camera pans to Will Jacks padded up and there’s no sign of Ben Stokes so we presume the skipper won’t come out to bat next should a wicket fall.
37th over: England 157-3 (Bethell 75, Brook 12) Fourteen runs off Green’s over as Alex Carey fumbles a dipping ball behind the sticks and the ball hits the helmet to gift England a bonus five runs. Yes I think they will take them. Brook flashes at a back of a length delivery and the edge flies over the cordon for four more. England trail by 26 runs and we’ve about ten minutes until the tea break.
36th over: England 143-3 (Bethell 71, Brook 7) Michael Neser replaces Scott Boland. Carey remains up to the stumps but Brook is watchful, knocking a couple of twos on top of the bounce into either side of the wicket. Neser has never looked more Hugh Jackman as Jean Val Jean in the film of Les Mis and yes I think you will find that is a compliment. Six off the over as England chip away at the deficit. Maybe they will be back for ONE DAY MORE tomorrow after all.
35th over: England 137-3 (Bethell 70, Brook 2) The SCG emits a collective purr as Jacob Bethell first pulls Cam Green for four with the utmost ease and then follows up the next ball with a crisp back foot drive through cover that takes the shot of the day award and sees him into the seventies.