Bethell shines in Sydney with Australia in firm control

Jacob Bethell scored his first Test century for England in brilliant fashion despite wickets falling around him on Day four in Sydney.

7 January, 2026

At just 22 years old, Jacob Bethell defied Australia with a composed 142* off 229 at the end of play on day four of the final Ashes Test in Sydney .

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England seemingly had it all under control at 219/3 in the second innings with a 36-run lead over the hosts. However, Beau Webster turned the tide as he trapped Harry Brook LBW for 42.

From there, Will Jacks (0), Jamie Smith (26), Ben Stokes (1), and Brydon Carse (16) had short stays at the crease. However, Bethell was unfazed as he continued scoring runs at a decent pace while minimising risks, playing a knock that could be considered a coming-of-age one.

Speaking on his ton, Bethell said, "It was always coming."

"It's nice to get over the milestone, and it gave me a lot of confidence to keep doing it."

His first ton in Test cricket was no easy feat, as he found himself stuck on 99 for eight deliveries before dancing down the track to deposit Beau Webster’s off-spin for a boundary. Bethell admitted he felt a few nerves in those moments.

"It actually felt okay.

"When they brought the spinner on, I was pretty comfortable to take him over the top. But there were a few nerves there."

With only two wickets remaining, England will be looking for Bethell to maximise his opportunity to give his side a fighting chance on the final day of play.

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Australia’s star of the day was Beau Webster, who made his first appearance in this series. He was a terrific partner to Steve Smith (138) in the latter part of Australia’s innings as the pair put up 107 runs for the eighth wicket.

Webster remained not out on 71 for Australia as the hosts ended at 567 with a lead of 183 runs.

The 32-year-old then shone with the ball as he surprised everyone by reverting from seam to off-spin, taking advantage of the turning track at the SCG.

“I’ll take both the runs and the wickets,” Webster said, when asked if he enjoyed the runs or wickets more.

“If you told me I was going to take three (wickets) with off-spin, I’d probably take that.

“It was satisfying to get some runs, no doubt. It’s nice to be out in the middle.”

Beau Webster celebrates his half-century against England in the fifth Ashes Test in Sydney (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

He snapped Harry Brook (42), Will Jacks (0), and Ben Stokes (1) in quick succession as he brought the hosts back into the game, ending the day with figures of 3/51.

Speaking on his surprising switch to off-spin, he said, “yeah, I think it’s a lot more muscle memory. Bowled a lot of it in my early twenties and teens and before I made the switch (to seam).”

“So, it is always there, part-time off-spin.”

“I am lucky I got a bit of rough outside off there and got a few to bite.”

It’s shaping up to be an exciting finish to the Ashes series on the final day at the SCG.