Calm swashbuckler Bethell's Test selection may prove inspired, but Key still has to be canny
The Guardian|December 04, 2024
Nearly six years ago the 15-year-old Jacob Bethell was given the Gray Nicolls Young Cricketer of the Year award and I sat next to him at lunch after the presentation.
Mark Ramprakash
Calm swashbuckler Bethell's Test selection may prove inspired, but Key still has to be canny

I have been aware of his background and looked out for his name since then, though I did not have a good look at him in action until he exploded onto the scene over the past 18 months, culminating in his Test debut last week.

I really like the way he sets up: he looks pretty side-on, seems to have good orthodox basics, presents the full face of the bat, moves forward and back. He scored 10 in his first Test innings but his mentality was right: there was no panic, he gave himself the chance to have a look, and did not seem flustered when he was faced with a string of balls he could not score off.

I and many others have often described Ollie Pope, who normally bats at No 3 for England, as looking a bit frenetic early in his innings, and you could argue that Bethell, at 21 and at his first attempt, looked much more composed.

This story is from the December 04, 2024 edition of The Guardian.

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This story is from the December 04, 2024 edition of The Guardian.

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