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.

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