Pragnell, the family-owned British jeweller, has named Jacob Bethell, the rising star of English cricket, as a brand ambassador and pledged one ounce of gold for every century he scores while representing England over 2025-26.
The batter has had a meteoric rise to top-tier cricket with what is described as a stellar summer playing for his county, Warwickshire, and country.
At only 20, he made his Test match debut for England against New Zealand last November with three half-centuries and has since played in the Indian Premier League for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru before returning to the UK for international duty this summer.
Bethell has impressed England selectors with his performances at county level and at the Indian Premier League
ANDY KEARNS/GETTY IMAGES
Bethell, 21, will become the youngest man to captain England in international cricket when he leads the T20 side on a tour of Ireland next month, surpassing a record held for 136 years by Monty Bowden, who was 23.
Bethell was seen sporting a Pragnell logo on his bat during the recent Oval Test against India. At current gold prices, each century he hits would be worth $3,340.
Pragnell is a sixth-generation, British family-run jeweller with a heritage spanning more than 170 years. As one of the UK’s last full-service jewellers, Pragnell fine jewellery is handcrafted in British workshops by their craftspeople. It also specialises in crafting bespoke jewels. Like Bethell, who was born in Bridgetown, the Pragnell family still has roots and relatives in Barbados.
The jeweller said it was “delighted to continue its ongoing support of great British cricketing talent following the 2019 Ashes, where we set a ruby for each wicket taken by Jofra Archer into a bespoke gold chain that became synonymous with his on-field look”.
Its other British ambassadors have included the tennis player Katie Boulter, the eventing star Jemima Howden, the mountaineer Adriana Brownlee, and the endurance athlete Becks Ferry.
In a statement, the company added: “The passion, artistry and ambition shown by Jacob on the field are common values Pragnell share in their pursuit of Great British craftsmanship, practised by their master craftsmen and apprentices, who finesse the centuries-old techniques and skills required to handcraft the finest jewellery.”