Prior to his selection as a cover for Jamie Smith in the Test series against New Zealand, the 21-year-old Bethell had played just 20 first-class games and never managed to reach the three-figure mark. Averaging just a touch above 25 in his first-class career, an injury to Jordan Cox paved the way for Bethell’s inclusion in England’s playing XI in Christchurch.
Even considering England’s previous experimentations with fast-tracking the likes of Shoaib Bashir, Rehan Ahmed, and Josh Hull to Test cricket, the decision to start with Bethell at No.3 in New Zealand seemed a bit too far left field. However, after a strong showing in Christchurch, some of those doubts were silenced and in Wellington, most of them were nipped in the bud after his classy 96 in the second innings.
Atherton: He’s simply made for it
An unbeaten second-innings half-century in Christchurch provided a peek into Bethell’s potential, something which the team management has bet heavily on. In the second Test in Wellington, the 21-year-old simply established the fact that he belongs at this level of cricket.
Former England captain Michael Atherton was effusive in his praise of Bethell. “Some cricketers are simply made for it," he wrote in his column for The Times. "Ever since he walked to the crease for the first time in Test cricket in Christchurch, Jacob Bethell has looked like one of that blessed number. He has carried himself with supreme confidence and poise, as if he knows he belongs at this level even if it might take others a little longer to recognise what he believes is self-evident."
Ninety-six runs, but so deserving of a 100 😫
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) December 7, 2024
Take a bow, Jacob Bethell - a fantastic knock in just your second-ever Test match 👏 pic.twitter.com/Ri3eAHDMlV
Bethell was only four runs away from making his first hundred in the longest format of the game, across both domestic and international cricket. However, he was left undone by his own audacity, after deciding to search for the boundary and ending up edging to Tim Southee's bowling in the process.
“This was a gem of an innings really when you consider his age — at just 21 years and 45 days, he would have become England’s fourth youngest hundred-maker, and the youngest since the Second World War, had he got there — and his inexperience at this level and in the No3 position,” Atherton further added.
Ben Duckett 🤝 Jacob Bethell
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) December 7, 2024
Both so unlucky to miss out on three figures, but that was never going to spoil the mood… 🤣 pic.twitter.com/qilRf8rAJK
Bethell, however, chose to focus on the 96 runs he made rather than the four that got away from him. In a video posted by ECB, he said, “I’m definitely not that thinking about the four runs that could have been. I’m happy that I got the runs I did and it was lovely to do it with Ben [Duckett, who made 92].”
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