NEW DELHI: England’s Jacob Bethell announced his arrival on the biggest stage with a landmark maiden first-class century during the second innings of the fifth and final Ashes Test against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Wednesday. The 22-year-old batter reached the three-figure mark on Day 4, producing a composed knock under pressure and etching his name into multiple elite statistical lists.With the innings, Bethell became the ninth England batter to score a Test century against Australia at the age of 22 or younger. He joined a distinguished group featuring Johnny Briggs, Young Jack Hearne, Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi, Colin Cowdrey, David Gower, Mike Atherton, Alastair Cook and Ben Stokes — a list that underlines the significance of his achievement in Ashes history.
Bethell’s hundred also placed him among a rare set of cricketers to score their maiden first-class and List-A centuries in international cricket. Only Kapil Dev, Marlon Samuels, Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Curtis Campher have previously managed the feat, highlighting the versatility and adaptability the young England batter has already shown early in his career.In terms of age-related milestones, Bethell now ranks among England’s youngest Ashes centurions in the post-World War II era. At 22 years and 76 days, he sits behind David Gower (21y 258d at Perth in 1978), Alastair Cook (21y 357d at Perth in 2006) and Colin Cowdrey (22y 7d at Melbourne in 1954), while moving ahead of Ben Stokes and Joe Root, both of whom also achieved the feat at 22.The innings was further distinguished by its historical context. Bethell became only the fifth England player to score a maiden first-class hundred in a Test match, following Henry Wood (1892), Jack Russell (1989), Stuart Broad (2010) and Gus Atkinson (2024). Against Australia specifically, he is just the seventh player overall — and only the second Englishman after Jack Russell — to score a maiden first-class hundred in an Ashes Test.Players scoring maiden first-class as well as List-A hundred in internationalsKapil DevMarlon SamuelsMehidy Hasan MirazCurtis CampherJacob BethellYoungest to score Ashes hundreds for England post WWII21y 258d – David Gower, Perth (WACA), 197821y 357d – Alastair Cook, Perth (WACA), 200622y 7d – Colin Cowdrey, Melbourne, 195422y 76d – Jacob Bethell, Sydney, 202622y 196d – Ben Stokes, Perth (WACA), 201322y 202d – Joe Root, Lord’s, 2013England players with maiden FC hundred in a Test matchHenry Wood vs SA, Cape Town, 1892Jack Russell vs AUS, Old Trafford, 1989Stuart Broad vs PAK, Lord’s, 2010Gus Atkinson vs SL, Lord’s, 2024Jacob Bethell vs AUS, Sydney, 2026Maiden FC hundred in AUS vs ENG TestsCharles Bannerman (AUS), Melbourne, 1877Billy Murdoch (AUS), The Oval, 1880Percy McDonnell (AUS), Sydney, 1882Harry Graham (AUS), Lord’s, 1893Jack Russell (ENG), Old Trafford, 1989Ian Healy (AUS), Old Trafford, 1993Jacob Bethell (ENG), Sydney, 2026
