England youngster Jacob Bethell hits his first Test century

Jacob Bethell scored his maiden first-class century in the fourth Ashes Test at the SCG, and England held a slim lead after his innings.

Jacob Bethell reached his first first-class century during the fourth Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground as England's difficult Ashes tour neared its conclusion. The 22-year-old was brought into the side after Ollie Pope was dropped and had limited opportunities earlier in the series. He batted cautiously at times and completed his hundred with a boundary that moved England into a narrow lead. The innings came while England sought to keep a faint chance of victory alive in the match. Key facts: - Jacob Bethell scored his maiden first-class century in the fourth Ashes Test at the SCG. - He is 22 and was born in Barbados and came into the Test after Ollie Pope was omitted from the side. - Bethell reached 100 with a boundary off Beau Webster and England were about 30 runs ahead when he reached triple figures. - He became the 47th player to score a maiden first-class century in a Test match and is reported as the first English specialist batter to do so. - Bethell had earlier said he did not feel his performances in the India series merited an Ashes call-up, and commentators noted the significance of his milestone. Summary: Bethell's century kept England's slender chance in the match alive and marked his first century at first-class level. The article reports commentators and former players noting the significance and mentions expectations for his role by the next Ashes in 2027, but selection plans are not settled. Undetermined at this time.