Australia v England: fifth Ashes Test, day five – live

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The real stars of this Test? Jacob Bethell’s parents. Loved seeing their reaction in the crowd to their son’s hundred.

Beau Webster continues to impress, those numbers particularly appealing at present: he’s averaging 41 with the bat and 23 with the ball in Test cricket. England are lucky they’ve only had to face him in one game. Here’s Geoff Lemon on Australia’s all-rounder debate.

Yeah, but can he do it in the County Championship? Anyway, here’s Barney Ronay on that Bethell knock.

Et in dystopia ego. In the midst of death, we are in life. On a throbbingly hot deep blue afternoon in Sydney, as this ghost ship of an England Ashes tour creaked towards its final dock, the fourth day of the fifth Test produced an unexpected late plot twist. Something good happened.

Preamble

Yes, I’ve checked the weather forecast. No, it’s not gonna rain. Jacob Bethell’s arrival was a lovely moment on day four, particularly with his parents watching from the stands. But this is heading towards another England defeat, 4-1 the likely final scoreline of another uncompetitive Ashes tour in Australia. At least we’re going to get a fifth day for just the second time this series. Can Bethell and Matt Potts – who has as many first-class hundreds as his colleague (ha) – stretch England’s lead to 200 and get a proper game going? Even then, you just know Travis Head will light up against an attack without any serious new-ball threat and, crucially, Ben Stokes.

Whatever happens, it’s the last day of school; let’s have some fun. Why not send me your predicted XIs for the first Test of the 2029-30 Ashes? Or tell me your favourite moments of this series (even if you’re an England fan, it hasn’t been all bad).