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Good to see that he is not only in the England under-19 squad but has also been made joint captain:
https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/barbados-born-jacob-bethell-to-captain-england-under-19s-against-west-indies-1275685?ex_cid=OTC-RSS

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Jacob got 185 off 110 balls (28x4 & 7x6) as Young England Lions B Captain, in their 50 overs match against Young Lions A, a few days ago (I don't think the A and B represent a first and second XI). Even with that, the B team only won by 1 wicket (406 for 9 - with 1 ball left - against 405 for 6) ! He didn't bowl.


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"The Bears and the (footballing) Foxes for ever !"

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Good BBC article on Jacob here
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/60239953

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Yes an interesting article. By tomorrow, he could be a World Cup winner.

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....or maybe just a runner-up. I was surprised that he only got to bowl 4 overs in the Final.
Anyway, still an amazing prospect. All we need now is for Sir Garfield, in one of his friendly chats, to persuade him that he, too, can be a three-in-one bowler - opening with lively left arm pace, then switching to orthodox finger spin or wrist spin as needed. But maybe Sir Garry was a one-off.

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Not to mention lightning reflexes at short leg and a javelin-like throw from the deep. If Jacob ends up as half the player Sobers was, we'll be more than pleased.

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Joins Gloucestershire on loan

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It's just for one game because Gloucestershire have horrendous injury/illness problems. Brad Wheal and Zak Chappell have also been brought in.

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Gloucestershire easily rolled over in less than three days - but Jacob was second highest scorer in the first innings (37) and top scorer in the second (61). Not a bad effort and great experience for him against a good quality Somerset attack.

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At that rate, they will want him a lot more injury or no injury, well done to him.

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It's perhaps an unfair comparison - different ground, different pitch - but he scored more runs in the match than any of the Bears players did in their match against Somerset.

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England Lions took a bit of a beating today; but Jacob top scored and, although he didn't take a wicket, was the most economical bowler:
https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/england-lions-in-sri-lanka-2022-23-1355654/sri-lanka-a-vs-england-lions-3rd-unofficial-odi-1355662/full-scorecard

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GerryShedd wrote:

England Lions took a bit of a beating today; but Jacob top scored and, although he didn't take a wicket, was the most economical bowler:
https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/england-lions-in-sri-lanka-2022-23-1355654/sri-lanka-a-vs-england-lions-3rd-unofficial-odi-1355662/full-scorecard

And opened, with another 50 - he's got to be in the mix to start for us there, in red and white ball, this season?


"You can take the boy out of Atherstone, but you can never take Atherstone out of the boy !"
"The Bears and the (footballing) Foxes for ever !"

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Nominated for the PCA Young Player of the Year award.

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https://www.telegraph.co.uk/cricket/2024/10/28/jacob-bethell-england-test-squad-new-zealand-jamie-smith/

Called up for the full England Test squad for New Zealand! A wonderful testament to his potential.


"You can take the boy out of Atherstone, but you can never take Atherstone out of the boy !"
"The Bears and the (footballing) Foxes for ever !"

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I rate Jacob very highly; and at only 21 he’ll get better and better.
But this seems a very odd pick, definitely based on potential and T20 form.
Yet to score a first class hundred, averaging 25 after 20 matches in red ball.
I can think of plenty within Warwickshire alone who were better this year in the CC. But that’s not what earns selection anymore.

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Presumably it means that’s another player that we’ll see very little of next season.

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I have to agree with Bristol Bear: great for Jacob but (if this is true) what are the England selectors smoking? Picking someone with potential in order to give them experience is the sort of thing you might do at club level but Test match cricket is supposed to be for people who have already sorted out their game, know what they need to do and know how to do it. As it is we have Smith learning to be a wicketkeeper, Bashir being so far down the pecking order at Somerset that he wasn't even guaranteed a place in their One Day Cup side and now (perhaps) a specialist batsman who is yet to score a century in any form of professional cricket. No wonder we are in the lower half of the Test Championship table.

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Jacob has a central contract (alongside Chris Woakes)
https://edgbaston.com/news/woakes-and-bethell-on-ecb-central-contracts-list/

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62 off 32 balls for England today.