HAPPY WITH ONE BIG HIT? SHADDUP YOU FACE!
Crawley fired up to add to his 267 against Pakistan to prove he’s not another of cricket’s ONE-HIT WONDERS
IF you’d told Zak Crawley at the start of the summer he would be the proud owner of the 10th highest Test score ever made by an Englishman he would have told you to ‘Shaddap You Face!’.
But now he has managed t hat ex t ra o rdi n a r y achievement with 267 against Pakistan, his primary aim is to make sure he doesn’t join Joe Dolce in becoming a ‘ one hit wonder’.
There surely is little chance of that though, having watched Crawley score runs with ease during his eight Test matches so far.
Three fifties before his breakthrough double hundred suggested he had the technique and the temperament for the highest level – he just needed the big score to confirm his Uptown Top Ranking.
“I certainly feel more confident in myself,” said Crawley. “I was very disappointed after getting dropped and thought that was it until Ben Stokes sadly left and gave me a chance.
“I was obviously picked in Test cricket as a prospect rather than picked on my stats, so I can imagine a few people around the country saying, ‘Is he any good?’.
“I’m glad to get that score in Test cricket and warrant that gig in a way. I always believed in myself, but hopefully people can see that I can play a bit. Hopefully I can get a few more scores in the future and not waste the talent and the chance that I have been given. I don’t want to be a one-hit wonder.”
A central contract and more game time in 2021 will help Crawley with his primary Test ambitions, although white ball selection is another target.
At just 22, Crawley’s youthful features would not seem out of place in St Winifred’s School Choir.
But rather than sing about Grandma, he would clearly rather pay homage to Alastair Cook, Jonathan
Trott, Marcus Trescothick or even Rob Key.
Former Kent and England batsman Key has been a welcome source of advice for Crawley, but it didn’t go unmentioned that the 221 he scored against the West Indies was indeed the only ‘ hit’ Key had in an England shirt.
Crawley added: “We are lucky at England. We are surrounded by great players.
“Graham Thorpe, Trott, Trescothick, they have all had good input into my game. I’ve also had Rob Key to help and I do think he was extremely unlucky in his career.”
Luck is clearly on Crawley’s side now with everything he touches literally turning to gold, such as the £1,281.60 that his knock raised for the Lord’s Taverners through ‘Runs for Change’.
As an ambassador, Crawley was being sponsored £ 4.80 per run during that innings, while also using the charity’s colours on his bat grip – something Joe Denly introduced to him.
“It was a great honour to be asked to be an ambassador,” he said.
“Helping disadvantaged and disabled young kids is one of the most important, if not the most important, thing we can do as a community, especially at this time.”
Zak Crawley is supporting Lloyd Scott to complete the Three Peaks Challenge dressed in a 130lb deep sea diving suit starting on October 4. Visit www. lordstaverners.org to make a donation.