Bold Bethell had 'no doubt' he would thrive at No 3

Fearless 21-year-old hit an unbeaten half-century on Test debut and it looks as if there is plenty more to come

- Ali Martin

Garfield Sobers began his legendary West Indies career in Jamaica in 1954 as a 17-year-old on the card at No 9, while Steve Smith famously started out for Australia 14 years ago as a jack-in-the-box leg-spinner down at No 8.

But Jacob Bethell, aged 21, as Smith was against Pakistan at Lord's in 2010, walked out last week as England's No 3, Matt Henry and Tim Southee probing away with a cherry-ripe Kookaburra under cloud cover.

For a player with a first-class average of 25 who had barely batted as high as No 4 for Warwickshire, it could have felt like a fever dream.

Bethell has a fair bit of a swagger about him, however.

He appears totally unfazed by the fast-tracking that made England's eight-wicket win at Hagley Oval his third international debut across the formats in just 11 weeks.

Were there any doubts at all? "Nah," came the reply, his unbeaten 50 from 37 balls having steered England to victory on the fourth day. "Not at all really. Pretty much every time I've played against better people, I've played better. The step up to the Hundred? Played better. Straight into internationals? Played better. I didn't really have a doubt in my mind that coming into Test cricket that I'd have done well."