Jacob Bethell danced down the track to an off-break from Beau Webster and launched it over midwicket for the boundary that ended one of cricket’s oddest stats.

At the 45th time of asking, he had finally ticked off his maiden first-class hundred, prompting jubilation among the Barmy Army and tears for his parents, Graham and Giselle, watching from the SCG stands.

It was a high-class knock forged in adversity, with Bethell walking out in the first over of England’s second innings after Zak Crawley had offered no stroke to Mitchell Starc on the fourth morning of the fifth Test.

Not that you’d have known the pressure he was under.

From the start, he looked calm and composed, upright in defence, forthright in attack – all the qualities Ollie Pope lacked while blocking Bethell’s ascent to the No 3 spot that should have been his ever since he averaged 52 from that position in his debut series in New Zealand a year ago.

At stumps, he was still there on 142, with England 302 for eight, a lead of 119 after Australia’s first innings had closed on 567.

And while they are still set to lose this game, and the series 4–1, Bethell’s century felt like a little light at the end of a dark tunnel extending all the way back to the second day at Perth. It was both heartening to watch and galling to think that England has managed him so badly.

It almost went without saying that, at the other end, they suffered various self-inflicted wounds in their bid to save the final Test.

Ben Duckett chopped on against Michael Neser after making 42, his highest score of a benighted series, before Joe Root – tied down by Scott Boland – was finally pinned in front by him for six, with DRS suggesting a bail-trimmer.

Later, after Harry Brook had been trapped by a big-turning off-break from Webster for 42 – the latest in a long line of unfulfilled innings from England’s vice-captain – Will Jacks unaccountably slog-swept his second ball to deep midwicket, where Cameron Green held a swooping catch.

It has become tiring to ask whether some England batsman or other has just played the worst shot of the series, but Jacks’s brainfade elbowed its way into the debate, a day after he had dropped a sitter at deep square leg.

Jamie Smith played sensibly enough for 26, then seemed spooked by the introduction of Marnus Labuschagne, who had somehow dismissed him in the first innings. Now, Smith was sent back too late by Bethell, who had pulled Labuschagne towards square leg, and was run out by Jake Weatherald’s throw and Labuschagne’s jubilant gather. It was another waste.

Out hobbled Ben Stokes, who earlier in the day had left the field because of a groin strain after sending down just 10 balls – the kind of injury many England fans had expected, though perhaps earlier than the fifth Test.

Having made a duck in the first innings, and obviously inconvenienced by his injury, Stokes managed just a single before poking Webster to slip, Australian anger about the omission of a frontline spinner now forgotten. Brydon Carse then prodded Boland to slip for 16.

Bethell, though, played his own game, judging each ball on its merits (there may be a lesson there), and making a mockery of his first-class average of 27. Only five England players had previously scored their maiden first-class century in a Test match, and of those o, only Jack Russell scored another.

Now that England has finally woken up to Bethell’s talents, it is inconceivable he won’t be adding many more.