Jacob Bethell’s former cricket teacher says it was clear “cricket was in his blood” when he first met Jacob Bethell as a Warwickshire schoolboy.
Bethell, 22, gave England a glimmer of hope with his maiden Test hundred in the Ashes against Australia.
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Former Warwickshire captain Michael Powell said the player joined Rugby School on a cricket scholarship at the age of 12 and quickly showed his ability and desire to excel.
After throwing a few tennis balls in, he immediately noticed the talent of this “little” young man. “You just saw the movement of bats that we’ve seen this week,” Powell said.
“It came from the environment he grew up in, quite simply a ball on a string on his balcony overlooking Barbados, where he hit the ball every morning, every afternoon, every night.”
Powell describes himself as one of many “facilitators” who have been “shaping and supporting” the player throughout his journey.
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“You can see cricket is in his blood, cricket is part of his family,” he said.
He believes Bethel honed his batting ability against taller opponents in Barbados.
“Most of the deliveries he faces are in his upper body,” he said. “So he had to find a way to deal with that, and he did that naturally because that’s all he faced.
“This week was telling because he handled it. He played really well.
“Once you have that and believe you can deal with the most dangerous weapon a fast bowler has, then you can deal with the rest.
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“This has been a very special week for the Bethel family and I think we have all seen firsthand how much this means to Jacob personally and to his family.”
Bethell is now the fifth man to score his first first-class hundred in a Test match in England.
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