Why Bethell was England's best and worst Ashes pick

The 22-year-old helped the tourists to 302-8 and a lead of 119 runs on day four. But his fine century raises more doubts around England's management

- Cameron Ponsonby

There’s always tomorrow, and Jacob Bethell will be there.

Everything, apart from the scorebook, has always looked right with Bethell. Declared a prodigy since birth, he counts Garry Sobers as a family friend, Brian Lara as an advocate, and Ian Bell as a believer. Lara saw Bethell at 11 and said he was “much better” than he had been at that age. Bell called him the best 17-year-old he had ever seen. It’s high elbows. It’s popped collars. It was quality that’s been waiting for the quantity to arrive.

Bethell is arguably England’s greatest and worst selection decision in this Ashes. A year ago, with barely a run under his belt in domestic cricket, England plucked him out of Warwickshire’s team, where he batted No 7, and stuck him in at three for the Test series against New Zealand. It’s worth remembering how left-field that call was. No one predicted it, and no one, really, believed in it.

But England were right. Three half-centuries in three Tests, including a 96 at Wellington, proved England had found their man. This was peak McCullum-and-Stokes midas touch.