Bettesworth was educated at Ardingly College in Sussex.
[1] A hard-hitting batsman, slow round-arm bowler and energetic field at cover point, he played 21 first-class matches for Sussex between 1878 and 1883.
His highest first-class score was 77, the highest score on either side in the match, when Sussex defeated Hampshire in 1881.
[4] After finishing at Ardingly as a pupil Bettesworth returned there to teach, then taught at Blair College in Scotland.
He wrote three books on the game: A Royal Road to Cricket, The Walkers of Southgate, and Chats on the Cricket Field.