Sydney [Australia], January 7 : Jacob Bethell's maiden first-class century and late strikes from Australia highlighted the final session of Day 4 of the fourth and final Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) as England finished on 302/8 with Bethell (142*) and Matthew Potts on the crease, with the Three Lions leading by 119 runs.
England added 123 runs in the final session of the day but lost five wickets with 22-year-old Bethell playing the lone hand in England's scoring.
Starting from 179/3 after Tea, England's Bethell and Harry Brook continued to bat freely with regular boundaries coming off their bats. Bethell brought up his maiden Test century, becoming only the fifth Englishman to score his first FC hundred in a Test match, as England found themselves well-placed at 219/3 in 51 overs.
However, Beau Webster changed the tide of the game as he clinched two wickets in the 52nd over, removing Brook (42 runs off 48 balls) and then getting rid of Will Jacks for a duck.
England wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith looked comfortable for his 26 but was removed by Marnus Labuschagne in the 65th over, with England being 254/6.
What made matters worse for the tourists was Ben Stokes' (one run off five balls) dismissal, which followed soon after Smith's wicket. Webster claimed his third wicket for the day as he got the England captain, who had edged the ball into the hands of Steve Smith positioned in the slips, reducing England to 267/7 in 65.2 overs.
New batter Brydon Carse chipped in for the Three Lions with 16 runs before Scott Boland dismissed him in the 71st over, with England being 298/8. Bethell and Potts fended off the danger of losing any more wickets as England reached 302/8 in 75 overs, leading the Aussies by 119 runs. Bethell will continue on Day 5 from his overnight score of 142*.
Earlier in the game, England reached 179/3 in 41 overs at Tea on Day 4, still trailing by nine runs. Jacob Bethell (79 off 132 balls, including 10 fours) and Harry Brook (24 off 22 deliveries, with the help of three fours) were unbeaten at the crease.
The second session started with Australian speedster Michael Neser dismissing opener Ben Duckett during the first ball of the 20th over. The English batter made 42 runs off 55 balls, including six fours. Nesser also broke the 81-run partnership for the second wicket.
Duckett concluded his Ashes 2025-26 series by making 202 runs in 10 innings at an average of 20.02 and a strike rate of 91.4.
Duckett also became the 11th batter to bat 10 times (or more) in the top-three in a Test series and not register a single 50-plus score while at it.
Before Duckett, the last player with this unwanted record was Phil Simmons during the 1991 England tour. Duckett is the fourth such batter in Ashes history after Cyril Washbrook (1950/51), John Edrich (1972) and Kim Hughes (1978/79).
England reached 106/2 in 27 overs with Bethell and Joe Root playing cautious cricket. Bethell reached his half-century during the 28th over in 87 deliveries, whereas Root completed his 400 runs in the ongoing Ashes series in the very same over.
During the last ball of the 32nd over, speedster Scott Boland trapped Root in front of the wicket (LBW), removing the veteran batter for just six runs off 37 deliveries as the Three Lions reached 117/3.
The right-handed batter Root ended up scoring 400 runs in 10 innings at an average of 44.44. Root notched up two centuries (Brisbane and Sydney) in the Ashes series. After Root's departure, Bethell and Brook stitched an unbeaten fifty-run partnership for the fourth wicket as England made 99 runs and lost two wickets in the second session.
Earlier on Day 4, Australia started with 518/7 in 124 overs in response to England's first innings score of 384. The hosts had a lead of 134 runs with Smith (129 off 205 balls, including 15 fours and one six) and Beau Webster (42 off 58 deliveries, with the help of four boundaries) unbeaten at the crease.
However, the hosts added 49 more runs to their overnight score as they were bundled out for 567 runs in their first innings, having a lead of 183. Captain Steve Smith made 138 off 220 balls, including 16 fours and one six. Beau Webster scored 71 off 87 deliveries, with the help of seven boundaries. Travis Head top-scored with 163 runs off 166 balls, along with 24 fours and one six.
England started their second innings on a poor note. Opener Zak Crawley departed in the very first over. Speedster Mitchell Starc dismissed him for one run. However, Ben Duckett and Jacob Bethell ensured there was no loss of wickets as the visitors went to Lunch at 80/1.
Earlier in the match, England were bundled out for 384 runs in 97.3 overs after opting to bat first. Openers Zak Crawley (16 off 29 balls, with the help of three fours) and Ben Duckett (27 off 24 balls, with the help of five boundaries) stitched a 35-run stand for the first wicket. Jacob Bethell departed after scoring 10 runs off 23 deliveries, including two fours.
Harry Brook (84 off 97 balls, including six fours and one six) and Joe Root's fantastic 160 off 242 deliveries, with the help of 15 fours, stitched a 169-run stand for the fourth wicket.
Root then stitched a 94-run partnership with wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith, who scored 46 off 76 balls along with seven boundaries as England went past the 350-run mark in the first innings. For Australia, speedsters Mitchell Starc (2/93), Michael Neser (4/60), and Scott Boland (2/85) were among the wicket takers.
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