England's hopes of a comeback in the fifth and final Ashes Test in Sydney were dealt a significant blow on day four, when young opener Jacob Bethell scored a stunning maiden Test century to revive their team's spirits.
Bethell, 22 years old and in his sixth Test match, displayed remarkable maturity and composure as he navigated the nervy nineties to eventually hit a glorious hundred off 162 deliveries. His impressive display was marked by four consecutive boundaries to deep midwicket, sending the SCG stands into raptures.
However, Australia's skipper Steve Smith and Mitchell Starc ensured England's fightback would be short-lived with a double-strike in their own innings. In the same over that dismissed Bethell, Smith became the first of the Australian batsmen to fall for 138, before Starc ended the innings on 5.
England responded by posting 302-8 in their second innings, thanks largely to Bethell's 142 not out, alongside Ben Duckett (42) and Harry Brook (42). However, with Australia's lead now ticking past 100, England's hopes of a victory are rapidly slipping away.
After the fall of Joe Root, who struggled against Michael Neser, the English team was left reeling. Their final wickets fell in a frantic session at the back-end of day, with Will Jacks and Jamie Smith both falling to Australia's bowlers.
Stokes would also be out early in the evening session for just one run on two deliveries, as the Australians' fast bowlers took over, leaving England looking for some vital late runs with the tail end of their team trying to save the game.
The Australian innings ended with a lead of 119 and an unchanged total of 567 in the first innings.
Bethell, 22 years old and in his sixth Test match, displayed remarkable maturity and composure as he navigated the nervy nineties to eventually hit a glorious hundred off 162 deliveries. His impressive display was marked by four consecutive boundaries to deep midwicket, sending the SCG stands into raptures.
However, Australia's skipper Steve Smith and Mitchell Starc ensured England's fightback would be short-lived with a double-strike in their own innings. In the same over that dismissed Bethell, Smith became the first of the Australian batsmen to fall for 138, before Starc ended the innings on 5.
England responded by posting 302-8 in their second innings, thanks largely to Bethell's 142 not out, alongside Ben Duckett (42) and Harry Brook (42). However, with Australia's lead now ticking past 100, England's hopes of a victory are rapidly slipping away.
After the fall of Joe Root, who struggled against Michael Neser, the English team was left reeling. Their final wickets fell in a frantic session at the back-end of day, with Will Jacks and Jamie Smith both falling to Australia's bowlers.
Stokes would also be out early in the evening session for just one run on two deliveries, as the Australians' fast bowlers took over, leaving England looking for some vital late runs with the tail end of their team trying to save the game.
The Australian innings ended with a lead of 119 and an unchanged total of 567 in the first innings.
. And Bethell's a genius on one day and complete bust on others 
. I mean, 142 not out or whatever is nice, but come on England needs more than just one guy to take down the Aussies! 
, I mean who needs that kind of maturity at 22? 
and that 4-bounce off deep midwicket was absolute fireworks 
, the crowd must've gone wild! 
but Australia just wouldn't let England get a sniff now 
, Steve Smith's ton was right on top of things 
and then Mitchell Starc just wrapped everything up like a neat bow 
still though, 302-8 is a decent fightback, we'll see how they respond in the last two days 
. Jacob Bethell was on fire, but it's not enough for them to take down Australia 
. I mean, Steve Smith is a beast on the field and Mitchell Starc is a master bowler 
. England needs to bring their A-game if they wanna have any hope of saving this match 
. It's not looking good for them...
ben duckett's 42 was like the only bright spot for them but still 302-8 is a decent score i guess... ethan stokes should've done better lol hitting 1 run in just 2 deliveries 
? he was so calm & collected out there, I love how mature for his age! 
and wow what a baller (literally) with the four boundaries to deep midwicket, sending the whole crowd wild 
. but, sad news for england... they're losing the game now 
he's only 22 and already scoring centuries in Test cricket?!? I know his country needs him right now but honestly, I'm kinda invested in his career lol. And those boundaries off deep midwicket?!? I was on the edge of my seat like "IS HE GONNA GET OUT" 
meanwhile Smith and Starc were just like the ultimate party poopers. Can't say much about the Aussie team's performance tho, they looked a bit lazy out there 
Ben Duckett and Harry Brook trying to carry England's innings?!? still gotta root for 'em though, even if it seems like a long shot now
they're gonna run away with it and leave england to pick up the pieces again... maybe if stokes hadn't gone out for just 1 run he could've changed the game 
but nope now he's just watching as aussie celebrates another win 
... I mean, Jacob Bethell's century was insane tho! 
. Their chances are slipping away faster than when I lose track of my backpack in the school hallway 
... wish them luck, though! 
but now England's in a tough spot... 302-8 just isn't enough to take down Australia 
hope Stokes can turn it around for them soon 
and england's batting line up is just not looking good 
. And what's with Steve Smith getting out for 138? That's some crazy stats 
but england's fightback was giving me all the feels 
his maturity and composure at just 22 are goals 
️ can't wait to see what stokes and co have in store for them now 
! The lad's got skills for days, I mean, who needs experience when you've got that level of maturity and composure? 
. 302-8 is a decent score, but they really need some miracle runs from the tail end to get back into this one 
They're on fire! Steve Smith and Mitchell Starc are putting pressure on the English batters, it's like they're trying to rub salt in their wounds 
. But it's gonna be tough 
.
. But, gotta give it to Bethell, he's got some serious skills and showed a lot of composure under pressure 
. 
