Jacob Bethell was already under scrutiny this summer after playing almost no red-ball cricket, failing to score in his solitary Test match against India and failing again at Headingley in the first of three ODIs against South Africa. In between those two wickets he endured an underwhelming Hundred and, surprisingly, was made England’s youngest ever T20 captain for the upcoming series in Ireland.
So, here at Lord’s, with England two wickets down chasing a mammoth 331 to keep the series alive, Brendon McCullum decided to throw Bethell into the fire at No 4, promoted up the order to save the game. What’s a bit more pressure on a 21-year-old’s shoulders?
