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Jacob Bethell was leading England’s battle to prevent a tortured Ashes campaign ending with a 4-1 defeat in Sydney.
Bethell hit an excellent 79 not out as England shaved a 183-run first-innings deficit down to single figures as they reached 174 for three on the fourth afternoon at the SCG.
With jobs and places surely up for grabs once this trip finally comes to an end the 22-year-old, England’s youngest and least experienced player on tour, was making a convincing claim to a significant role in any future set-up.
Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett and Joe Root were all back in the pavilion, with captain Ben Stokes nursing a groin injury that may inhibit his own attempts at making one last contribution.
Stokes has fought through a variety of fitness problems in the past couple of years, with long running knee problems, two torn hamstrings and a shoulder issue, but ticked past 100 overs for the series as he opened the bowling.
The effort proved too much as he became the fourth English seamer to break down on a draining trip, joining Mark Wood (knee), Jofra Archer (side) and Gus Atkinson (hamstring). Australia added 59 to their overnight score before being wrapped up for 567 in the first hour. Josh Tongue had Steve Smith caught behind for 138 and added Mitchell Starc before Will Jacks nabbed last man Scott Boland.
That left England’s under-fire openers to face the music and Crawley proved easy pickings, shouldering arms to one that zipped back in and struck him in front of leg. It was the fourth time Starc had struck in his first over and continued his domination of a top-order pair who are averaging just 19 runs and 22 deliveries together across the series.
With the hard new Kookaburra nipping and lifting that could easily have been the first of several breakthroughs, with Bethell edging two of his first 12 balls in front of the cordon and Duckett dropped by Cameron Green as he dived in front of first slip. Bethell also wore a blow on the helmet as Green got one to rear awkwardly.
The pair built a stand of 81 despite a stiff examination from the home attack, with Duckett beaten just after the lunch break when he guided Michael Neser back into his stumps. A score of 42 was his best yet, a sign of a difficult trip for the left-hander.
In his absence Bethell grew into his role, timing the ball effortlessly as it softened and leaning into a couple of graceful drives. When he reached fifty off 87 deliveries he did it with a flourish, tearing into a whipcrack of a cut shot as Starc strayed wide.
England were still 66 behind when they lost their most prolific scorer, Root lbw for six as he lost his tussle with the nagging accuracy of Scott Boland. That was down to single figures by the time tea came, Bethell purring along and Brook adding 24 not out.
