Jacob Bethell: England’s newest Test debutant’s composure leaves impression on Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain

Jacob Bethell enjoyed a dream Test debut, capping a thumping England eight–wicket win over New Zealand at Christchurch with an unbeaten, 37-ball fifty.

Bethell smashed eight fours and a six en route to his rapid maiden half century, but it was his composure shown in the first innings for a 34-ball 10, in testing conditions against New Zealand’s quality pace attack, that most impressed Sky Sports‘ Michael Atherton.

After the Black Caps posted 348 in their first innings, England were reduced to 9-1 inside four overs to prompt Bethell’s arrival at the middle. And, against the potent new-ball pair of Tim Southee and Matt Henry, the 21-year-old proceeded to dig in determinedly for 49 minutes before a beauty of a ball from fellow debutant Nathan Smith finally had his name on it.

“I thought he looked terrific, in both innings,” Atherton said on the latest episode of the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast. “And, to my mind, it was the first innings that was really impressive.

“It was a really tricky period – Henry and Southee, on a green pitch, the ball zipping around – and he looked very composed, as though he had a good defence.

“He obviously played some scintillating shots in the second innings, but you know that these young kids can play like that – they’ve grown up in this white-ball era.

“Nobody would expect a 21-year-old to be the finished article; there is always going to be room for growth and improvement.

“But what you’re looking for is temperament, that’s the key. Do they look as though they belong? I thought, unquestionably, the young man looked like he belonged.”

Nasser: Bethell composure reminded me of Vaughan

Fellow former England captain Nasser Hussain likened Bethell’s debut to that of Michael Vaughan’s during a tour of South Africa in 1999.

England found themselves in an even more disastrous position in that opening Test in Johannesburg, at 2-4 in the third over, before a then 25-year-old Vaughan provided 84 balls and 33 runs worth of resistance against the rampant Allan Donald and Shaun Pollock.

“That was the most important thing to me, not how he [Bethell] played and how many shots he had… how did he look?” Hussain said.

“That’s a side of someone you don’t know about until they’re in that pressured environment, with Southee and that very strong bowling attack running in at you.

“I go back to Michael Vaughan and my first tour when I was captain… he came in at 2-4 in Johannesburg, and it wasn’t the shots he played that made you realise he was a high-class player, it was his composure at the crease and how he was in and around the dressing room.

“You can’t really teach that; you either have that or you don’t. It’s that carefree, almost arrogance of youth which helped him take it in his stride.

“It was a very good sign for England.”

Former New Zealand wicketkeeper and legendary commentator Ian Smith was this week’s guest on the podcast and, as well as reflecting on his famous “by the barest of margins” commentary call from England’s 2019 Cricket World Cup win, he too was left impressed by Bethell on debut.

“I liked him. He fits the mix really nicely,” Smith said.

“When you do the job we do, you get these wonderful close-ups of the players’ faces on camera, you can see their mannerisms and study them from quite far away… and he didn’t look like a debutant to me.

“He might have been squirming inside, I don’t know, but from the outside – which is the impression the opposition get of you – he looked to be pretty organised, quite relaxed and as if the environment was not new to him.”

England’s Test tour of New Zealand