New Zealand, December 9, 2024 (Punjab Khabarnama Bureau)- Jacob Bethell was considered a gamble at number three when he was handed his England debut against New Zealand in Christchurch last month and captain Ben Stokes was justified in feeling some sense of vindication after the series was secured on Sunday.
The 21-year-old, who had not batted above number four in a single first class match before he did so in a test, produced a half century to seal the eight-wicket victory in Christchurch and an impressive knock of 96 in the 323-run win in Wellington.
“I know there was a bit made of Beth batting at three with his inexperience and the lack of first class cricket batting at the top of the order,” Stokes said in his post-match press conference.
“But you know, me and (coach Brendon McCullum) don’t think like that. You have a young lad with so much potential and so much talent, why not let him go out there and expose himself to test cricket at its toughest?
“If he hadn’t batted in the top three, he wouldn’t have slapped 50 odd (in Christchurch), which I’ve got no doubt led him into this game with the confidence to go out there and play the way that he did in our second innings.”
Bethell got his chance because of the absence of wicketkeeper Jamie Smith and an injury to his replacement Jordan Cox, forcing Ollie Pope to drop down the order from number three to take the gloves.
Summary: England’s decision to include Jacob Bethell in their squad for the New Zealand tour has proven successful, as his performance delivered significant results for the team.