Crane ready to enjoy his big chance

Mason Crane will shut out the white noise of sledging from Australian crowds if he makes his debut in the Boxing Day Test.

Crane has been taken aback by the “verbals” from partisan spectators in this winter’s Ashes.

But the 20-year-old leg-spinner may be about to put some distance between himself and the 90,000-plus baying hordes at the MCG.

Crane may face a straight battle with uncapped seamer Tom Curran to replace the injured Craig Overton in the fourth Test – and if he wins, he will be relieved to escape running drinks in front of the home support.

“The verbals going on in this series, I’ve never seen the like before,” he said.

“Walking around’s tough. If a bowler wants a drink on the far side, we’re drawing straws.”

He confirms that the content is often post-watershed.

“I’m not sure much of it can be repeated – it’s not for families,” Hampshire star Crane said. “You just laugh it off. “There’s not much else you can do, really. They’re going to shout it (anyway).”

Whether he attracts the same attention in the middle is a moot point if asked to add to a team which has already lost the Ashes but is out to prove better than the current 3-0 scoreline.

“You spend your life growing up wanting to play for England, and I’m not going to let a few shouting Aussies get in the way of it,” he said.

“If I do play Test cricket I’m going to try and enjoy every moment.”

Crane has noticed the barracking is not all in close-quarters audio, saying: “The pressure around every ball and the hype is ridiculous, really.”

His prospects of a first cap are perhaps enhanced by the poor form of frontline spinner Moeen Ali – sure to retain his place as an all-rounder but arguably leaving the need for an alternative rather than another seamer.

Crane is on an upward curve – and asked how far his career can go, he said: “I just don’t know.

“A couple of years ago, I thought I’d be struggling to play county cricket – and now I’m on an Ashes tour – so I’m not going to put a limit on it.”