Cricket - The Ashes - Australia v England - Fifth Test - Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney, Australia - January 7, 2026 England's Josh Tongue celebrates with Ollie Pope after taking the wicket of Australia's Mitchell Starc REUTERS/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake
SYDNEY, Jan 7 (Reuters) - Jacob Bethell scored his maiden test century to lead an England rearguard action on the fourth day of the fifth test on Wednesday but Australia still looked firmly set for victory and a 4-1 series triumph.
Anchored by Bethell's 142 not out, England reached the close of play on 302 for eight with a modest lead of 119 runs over Australia's bumper first-innings tally of 567.
If England are to defy Australia to close out the series on a relatively good pitch, they are likely to have to do so without the bowling of captain Ben Stokes, who pulled up with a groin issue in the first hour of the day.
"He's moving pretty gingerly," Bethell told reporters. "So I don't think that bodes too well for him bowling tomorrow."
Bethell has looked a strong addition to the team after coming into the side in place of Ollie Pope for England's fourth test victory in Melbourne last week.
The 22-year-old confirmed his promise on Wednesday, holding England's innings together in a string of big partnerships -- 81 runs with opener Ben Duckett, 102 with Harry Brook and 45 with Jamie Smith.
Playing only his sixth test, Bethell spent a nervous couple of overs on 99 before reaching the most important milestone in the game with a crunching four.
"It's pretty special. It's not really sunk in yet," Bethell told reporters.
"We had to graft hard out there and ideally we'd be a couple wickets less. But yeah, 119 ahead. I think we've got a chance if we get it up to 180-190, potentially, tomorrow."
His partners fared less well.
Duckett was bowled by Michael Neser for 42 soon after lunch when he looked well-set, Brook was ousted lbw for the same score on an Australian DRS appeal, and Smith was farcically run-out for 26.
Stokes lasted five balls and scored one run when he did finally come out to bat, caught in the slips off a thick edge to leave his team clinging on at 267-7 and give Australia all-rounder Beau Webster his third wicket of the day.
Webster (3-51) had earlier shattered English hopes of giving Australia a fourth-innings run chase that might truly test them when he removed Brook and Will Jacks in the space of three balls with his part-time off spin.
UNREMITTING BOWLING
All of Australia's bowlers were unremitting in their effort and application with Mitchell Starc removing opener Zak Crawley lbw for one with the fifth ball of the innings to claim his 29th wicket of the series.
Crawley did not offer a shot as the ball thumped into his pad and England's opening partnership failed to survive the opening over for the fourth time in the series.
Scott Boland, remarkably not even a first-choice selection when all Australia's quicks are fit, was again uber-reliable and ousted danger man Joe Root for six in an lbw decision confirmed by DRS.
The 36-year-old returned to take the last wicket of the day -- his 20th of the series -- by inducing a thick edge off Brydon Carse that Steve Smith gobbled up in the slips.
One bright note for England at the backend of the series has been the bowling of seamer Josh Tongue (3-97) and he was again to the fore as the visitors mopped up the last three Australian wickets in the first hour of play.
He removed Smith for 138 and Starc for five before many in another bumper crowd of 42,864 had taken their seats.
Australia's last batsman, Boland, edged the ball to the slips off the first delivery he faced from Jacks, leaving Webster 71 not out.
Webster has had to bide his time to get his chance to play in the series and was delighted with his returns having fought his way into the team.
"I'll take both the runs and the wickets," he told reporters.
"I was trying to stay ready and if I got a chance in any of the tests that I was I was ready to go. It's come in the last test and I've managed to do it."
(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
