The Ashes – Fifth Test, Sydney Day 4: All hail, the messiah!
ALL HAIL, THE MESSIAH!
The visitors have been telling us all summer that the Messiah was close at hand. Up until Boxing Day we thought he must have been just a naughty boy.
Come 2026 and all hail the messiah has arrived today.
His name is Jacob Bethell , a young English tyro with a Barbadian lilt in his voice. Today he lifted the hearts and minds of all the English believers with a magnificent first century in first class cricket against Australia in Sydney.
He gave a faultless display of batting for such a young player whose highest first-class score prior to this innings had been 96.
Bethell is the main reason that the game will go into the fifth day as his 142 not out has helped England to a lead of 119 with 2 wickets still to fall.
Australia did not last long this morning and where all out for 567 with Beau Webster remaining not out on 71 after SPD fell early for 138. Tongue and Carse both took 3 wickets.
Webster now has a batting average of over 70 in the few test matches he has played. Surely now he must be considered a safe bet for the next Test series played by Australia? By the end of the day he had enhanced it even further. One of his team mates must be green with envy.
As is his want Starc opened proceedings in the Lions second dig by getting a wicket in his first over. Crawley leg before.
Enter Jacob Graham Bethell born on the 23rd October 2003 in Bridgetown Barbados. Barbados? The home of these famous Barbadians – Garry Sobers, the three W’s – Worrell, Weekes, Walcott, Joel Garner, Malcolm Marshall, Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes.
There must be something in the air to produce so many brilliant cricketers.
Will Bethell join the group? Well they will claim him in the Caribbean but his parents are both English.
At the end of the day JG Bethell was still there 142 to his name and England hoping that he can get a few more on Thursday to give them a rough chance of winning. He may have to bowl a lot as captain Ben Stokes after a valiant series from him has broken down and won’t bowl.
Bethell received good assistance from Brook (42) and Smith (26) but they did not carry on with their innings.
Boland (2/34) bowled superbly throughout the innings while Beau Webster finished with 3/51. The boy from Snug has had a fine match for his first of the series.
Boland, incidentally bowled 28 superb overs to stop any attack by the former Bazballers.
A wonderful day’s cricket to witness and one where perhaps the future king of English cricket strutted the stage with an unblemished master class.
At stumps England 8/302 Bethell 142 Potts 0
England lead by 119 runs
NB. ‘Shrek’s Wife’ was unavailable to report on today’s play. ‘Citrus’ has probably helped finish her thesis by writing today’s play.
Read more reports on the Ashes series HERE.
More stories from Citrus Bob Utber can be read Here.
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About Bob Utber
At 86 years of age Citrus Bob is doing what he has always done since growing up on a small farm at Lang Lang. Talking, watching and writing sport and in recent years writing books. He lives in Mildura with his very considerate wife (Jenny) and a groodle named 'Chloe on Flinders' and can be found at Deakin 27 every day.
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