BETH'S BASH PUTS AUS ON A HIGH ALERT

ON a day when the Government tested their severe alert text service, Jacob Bethell delivered a warning of his own.

- BY IAN BAKER

And even though the sounds of millions of mobile phones vibrating at once probably did not reach Australia, this innings will have.

Aged just 21, Bethell (above) scored his first century in any form of professional cricket.

In doing so, he became the second-youngest England player to score an ODI century as South Africa were thrashed in this dead rubber.

This was an emphatic statement that Bethell could be the Three Lions’ Ashes trump card. His 110 off 82 balls was magnificent and, helped by another ton from Joe Root, England reached 414-5, their fifth highest ODI total of all time.