By Abi Curran
Up-and-coming left-hander Jacob Bethell is learning from the best in fellow all-rounder Moeen Ali on his ascent up the ranks of domestic cricket and beyond.
There may be 17 years between Bethell, 20, and Ali, 37, but the Birmingham Phoenix protegee and mentor have struck up an exciting partnership in time for The Hundred this summer.
Bethell made his first-class debut in 2021 for Warwickshire, whom he has been with since the age of 14 and has been enjoying a breakthrough year for his county and Birmingham Bears in the T20 Blast.
A quick-fire half-century at the 2022 ODI World Cup for England U19s got the Barbadian-born ace noticed as he looks to Ali for inspiration to continue his rapid senior rise.
“Obviously, you’ve got another left-hander and all-rounder in Moeen, I try to pick his brains and listen to him as much as possible, getting tips that I can from him,” he said, speaking at KP Snacks event, who in partnership with England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), committed to installing and refurbishing 100 new non-turf cricket pitches over the next three years focusing on cities and urban areas where facilities might not exist or need refurbishing over three years.
“It’s nice to have that continuity with him being from Warwickshire as well.
“In terms of technical things, he’s good at showing me where to position my hands on the bat and where I look to hit the ball, that kind of stuff.
“The U19 World Cup was definitely a great platform; it did a lot for my development as a cricketer.
“It gives you an opportunity to showcase your talent at the highest level for that age group, with a bit of the same coverage and pressure that you get in Blast and The Hundred, it was a great thing to be a part of.”
Last month, Bethell hit a 15-ball half century, the second fastest by an English player in the 22-year history of domestic T20 cricket for Birmingham Bears.
His effort was a ground record at Edgbaston – finishing 56 not out from 16 balls – and Bethell believes it is the early stages of a career that will be marked by its longevity.
“It’s only this year I’ve shown what I can do,” he said. “I feel I’m in that position now where I’ve got a lot of learning under my belt, and I can perform.”
“My game has involved a lot, my personality as a human has changed a lot in the last couple of years but I look back on everything with fond memories.
“I want to have an impact in all three parts of the game, and I just want to bring that calm but confident presence.
“I’m quite a chilled-out bloke so if I can relax the rest of the dressing room, that would be great.
“The goal is always to play international cricket but that will come by putting in performances game after game so I’ll take it one game at a time and try and do as well as I can.”
KP Snacks is the Official Team Partner of The Hundred. Through their Everyone In campaign, they are on a mission to inspire and enable more families & communities to get more active through cricket and create more opportunities for people to get involved and have a healthier lifestyle through the sport. To find your nearest pitch, head to www.everyonein.co.uk
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