SYDNEY: Rock-solid Jacob Bethell plundered a chanceless maiden century on Wednesday as England reeled in Australia, then built a tenuous 119-run lead to leave the fifth and final Ashes Test on a knife-edge.
By stumps on day four at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), the tourists were 302-8 with Bethell not out 142 and Matthew Potts yet to score.
The 22-year-old Bethell saved the day after Zak Crawley fell early and veteran Joe Root cheaply, powering to his hundred in style off 162 balls.
But wickets tumbled around him with Harry Brook (42) and Will Jacks (0) removed in the space of three balls by the part-time off-spin of Beau Webster two overs after Bethell reached the landmark.
A calamitous mix-up then saw Jamie Smith (24) run out.
Ben Stokes (1) came in at seven after limping off clutching what appeared to be his groin while bowling the third over of the day, but only lasted five balls with Webster again doing the damage.
England are desperate for another morale-boosting win after victory in the previous Test at Melbourne. Australia lead 3-1 and have already retained the Ashes.
Remarkably, it was not just Bethell’s maiden Test ton but the only one he has scored in red-ball cricket, with his previous best 96 against New Zealand.
Bethell was recalled for Melbourne to replace the under-performing Ollie Pope, scoring a gritty 40 in difficult batting conditions, with the number three position now his to lose.
His exploits came after the hosts were dismissed for 567 before lunch on the back of Travis Head’s 163 and 138 from skipper Steve Smith. That left England chasing a 183-run deficit after their first innings of 384.
They needed a solid start, but chief tormentor Mitchell Starc once again conjured up a first-over breakthrough, his 29th wicket for the series.
The pace spearhead delivered a beautiful inswinger that Crawley misjudged and left, with the ball smacking his pads, and he was out lbw for one.
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Fellow opener Ben Duckett was dropped on 38, but failed to capitalise and was bowled by Michael Neser on 42, his highest score in a wretched series.
Root, fresh from his first innings of 160, was terrorised by Starc and Neser. He finally fell lbw after facing 37 balls for his six runs to the relentless Scott Boland, with the 35-year-old trudging off dejected.
But Jacob Bethell proved unmovable. A single off Neser overhauled Australia’s lead soon after tea, and the youngster passed three figures emphatically with a cracking boundary through midwicket.
But Webster then swung the momentum back to Australia with his double strike, trapping Brook lbw before Jacks inexplicably holed out to Cameron Green in the deep.
Jamie Smith’s run-out compounded England’s problems, the wicketkeeper-batter setting off for a single but sent back by Bethell and caught well short by Jake Weatherald’s throw.
Stokes edged Webster to Smith in the slips with Brydon Carse doing the same off Boland on 16.
Earlier, Australia resumed Day 4 at 518-7, with Steve Smith on 129 after his 13th Ashes century and Webster on 42.
Smith flogged Stokes through the covers for a boundary in his first over, while Webster dished out similar treatment to Carse.
But the Australia skipper did not last long, nicking a fuller length delivery from Josh Tongue to wicketkeeper Jamie Smith.
Webster reached a fifth half-century in his eighth Test with a single and put on 20 with Starc before the big paceman was bowled by Tongue for five.
Boland suffered a golden duck to leave Webster unbeaten on 71. Tongue ended with 3-97 and Carse 3-130.
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