Super hero Zak
Crawley’s unbeaten 171 puts England on top
A week ago, Zak Crawley was dreaming of scoring his first Test hundred. Last night, he would have had visions of making two in the same innings after going to bed on 171 and feeling invincible.
His century was the first by an England No3 since Jonny Bairstow in Colombo nearly two years ago and, at the age of 22, his breakthrough innings was hugely encouraging for England’s future.
He is 29 runs short of becoming the youngest double centurion for England since David Gower 41 years ago and is partnered by Jos Buttler on 87, who is eyeing what would be an important hundred for him, too.
Together they took the game away from Pakistan with a stand of 205, steering England clear of trouble at 127 for four to a position today to cruise beyond 400 and control the game.
They scored freely after tea, adding 148 in the final session, and moved along at four an over matching each other for attractive strokeplay on a slow pitch, tucking hungrily into Yasir Shah, who brought up his own hundred.
Buttler has now been involved in four important stands this summer, strengthening his place in the side. He fed off his younger team-mate, and together they totally dominated bowlers who looked weary and worn down by the strong winds that sapped their energy.
Crawley’s father, Terry, was a renowned figure in the City in the 1980s, when he made his fortune as a futures trader. The story goes that he went from being a Bermondsey carpet fitter earning £100 per week to The Sunday Times Rich List, earning the nickname Terry the Till along the way for his ferocious ability to make money and spot a deal.
The Sun once ran a headline “Rugs to Riches” about his story. It will be Runs to Riches for his son.
It means Zak has enjoyed a privileged upbringing, but not that you would know it talking to him. His feet are firmly on the floor. Selfeffacing and incredibly hard working, he has inherited his father’s drive to succeed, learning quickly what is required to prosper in Test cricket and how to fit in.
A public schoolboy fast-tracked into the England team with a firstclass average of only 31 could provoke resentment, but Crawley won over team-mates and coaches last winter with a dedication to fitness and a critical mind, willing to learn what it takes and improving his Test score five times in a row in South Africa.
He is good to watch, too. His timing was sweet all day and there were few false shots. He played powerfully on the front and back foot against spin and seam, scoring 109 off 174 from pace and 62 off 95 from spin.
He was controlled, ignoring the tempters wide outside off stump. He is the kind of positive force at No3 that Trevor Bayliss craved. He bats in that Australian way of looking to impose himself early, definite in his movements and mental approach. He relies on orthodox shots and it was not until he reached 131 that he went a little funky, reversesweeping Yasir.
It was a fluent innings from the start. He was off the mark first ball with a four whipped off his legs, and was soon 27 from 34 as Pakistan were poor in the first session. They tightened up before lunch, but by then Crawley had fifty, driving down the ground to reach his half-century with the last stroke of the morning session.
There was only one flap at a pull shot that looped in the air on 83, but apart from that it was composed batting.
He was 97 at tea, and appeared very calm for a player with only three first-class hundreds. He brought up the century in the first over after lunch, dropping Mohammad Abbas into the off side.
When it came, his celebration was understated, waving his bat to jubilant team-mates on the balcony before getting his head down to carry on.
An empty Ageas Bowl with a biting wind was probably not what he was dreaming of last week when he thought about his maiden Test hundred, but it did not matter. He had made it all look so natural.
When Ben Stokes returns England will have a choice to make, but
He is the kind of positive force at No 3 that Bayliss craved