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JACOB PUTS AUSSIES ON ALERT WITH AN EPIC TON

- by IAN BAKER

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

And even though the sounds of millions of mobile phones vibrating at once would not have been heard in Australia, this innings will have been.

Aged just 21, Bethell scored his first century in professional cricket.

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

Underused this summer, this was an emphatic statement that Bethell could well be the 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.