Cricket news: Where does Jacob Bethell’s Ashes ton rank among his best moments as a pro?
Jacob Bethell put on a masterclass of stroke-playing to take him to an unbeaten 142 at the SCG on day four of the fifth and final Ashes Test in what is not only his first Ashes hundred but also his first in Test cricket.
England finished the day eight wickets down, with a meagre 119-run lead, in a Test match that looks set to be clinched by Australia on day five.
This is only the second match Bethell has been involved in during the series as he came in for Ollie Pope after the third Test.
Many England fans are now asking the same question: Why on earth has Bethell not been playing all along?
As he finally finds his feet in an England shirt, Sports News Blitz writer Finn Littlewood takes a look back at his greatest moments so far.
5. Became the youngest ever England captain at 21
After his meteoric rise in just a couple of years to undoubtedly become England’s brightest prospect, Bethell was named captain in the T20 series in Ireland in August 2025.
This came mainly due to the resting of full-time white-ball skipper Harry Brook and other key players after a congested schedule over the course of the summer, but it was nonetheless a proud milestone for the youngster and his family.
Bethell led the team to a 2-0 series win after the second game was abandoned without a ball being bowled.
With the Irish opposition being significantly weaker, this seemed like the perfect opportunity to give Bethell the reins.
This showed positive signs for the future as the 21-year-old showed strong leadership to steer his team to victory.
4. 96 against New Zealand in his second Test match
Bethell made his Test debut during an away series in New Zealand in December 2024.
After a glamorous 50 not out off 37 balls on his debut to help England to win the first Test, he followed that up with an astonishing 96 in the second innings of the second Test to really open the eyes of English supporters to his talent.
Despite being agonizingly close to his maiden Test hundred, Bethell remarkably remained upbeat about his performance, with a somewhat arrogant belief that his time would come.
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3. 15-ball fifty in a T20 Blast game
The Barbados-born Warwickshire batsman first drew eyes to him after his destructive batting displays in The Hundred for the Birmingham Phoenix, although that focus really began to pick up steam in summer 2024 with his performances for the Birmingham Bears in the T20 Vitality Blast.
Hitting 56 not out off just 16 balls in a game against Northants Steelbacks, only 12 days after his maiden professional half-century, it was the second-fastest half-ton by an English player in domestic T20 history.
His 2024 T20 Blast campaign was probably why he was picked up by the Royal Challengers Bangalore for the 2025 IPL season, in which he further impressed and even helped RCB to their first IPL title, and the Melbourne Renegades for the 2024/25 BBL.
2. Maiden professional century against South Africa
After missing out in New Zealand and coming close in an ODI against the West Indies earlier in the summer with a score of 82, Bethell finally earned his first hundred in the third of two ODIs against South Africa.
Hitting at a strike rate of 134, Bethell truly showed his brilliance with some out-of-this-world ball striking.
The relief was apparent as he made it to the milestone, with the moment made even more special by Joe Root being at the crease to celebrate the moment with him.
This innings cemented Bethell as the future of England cricket as he displayed a sense of maturity not seen since Root’s early career.
Bethell excelled in the white-ball campaign of summer 2025 too, yet many people were itching to see more of him in first-class cricket.
He was perhaps unfairly thrown into the team for the final match in the 2025 Test series against India at the Kia Oval.
Coming in to bat at six, he left a lot to be desired with scores of six and five in a match that saw India come out as the victors, ending the series in a 2-2 draw.
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1. Ashes century at the SCG
Without question, Bethell’s finest moment of his career came with his knock of 142 not out in the fifth Ashes Test match.
Perhaps for the first time in his career, we saw him truly carry a batting attack, playing an innings of maturity beyond his years.
As wickets slowly fell around him, he stood tall through partnerships with Ben Duckett and Harry Brook, earning his first-ever Test ton.
With his parents watching on, the Sydney Cricket Ground rose for the youngster, who deservedly cherished the moment.
Throughout an Ashes series that saw England majorly underachieve Down Under, England fans remained hopeful that the future is bright with Bethell.
Cynics will be negative about England’s chances on the final day of this series as the lead is not enough and the wickets in hand are not plentiful.
However, while Bethell remains at the crease, supporters should keep faith that England’s brightest spark may just solidify himself as a key component in England’s Test side and drag them to a respectable lead to defend in the series finale.
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