Crawley 267 steals show for England
Zak Crawley yesterday produced a career-changing knock of 267 and Jos Buttler added 152 as the pair shared a record-breaking stand that all but guaranteed England a series win over Pakistan.
The duo came together on 127 for four on day one, with matters delicately poised and the hosts’ 1-0 lead precarious, and proceeded to pile on 359 before being parted deep in the second afternoon.
As well as being England’s highest ever fifth-wicket partnership, it lies sixth on the all-time list for any wicket and powered the hosts to 583 for eight declared.
James Anderson then worked wonders with the new ball, taking out Shan Masood, Abid Ali and Babar Azam as the beleaguered tourists fell to 24 for three.
But the spotlight belongs to Crawley, who turned his overnight 171 into a true touchstone innings – the 10th best by an Englishman in Tests amid some truly elite company.
Having played so impressively to reach a maiden hundred, he delivered handsomely again, adding 96 in 124 balls to finish with 34 boundaries and a first ever six from a knock lasting well over nine hours.
Buttler, meanwhile, ended a wait of two years and 45 innings for his second Test hundred.
England began the day handsomely set at 332 for four and added 41 in an opening session that was twice interrupted by rain.
Crawley scored only 15 before lunch but it was a different matter in the afternoon session.
As things progressed the tourists increasing looked like careworn passengers in the field. By the time it was all over Shaheen, Naseem Shah and Yasir Shah had all conceded over 100, with the latter pair leaking more than four an over.
The stand topped 250 early in the afternoon, before Fletcher and Greig’s Mumbai stand of 254 in 1973 was eclipsed. Crawley grabbed a personal landmark next, turning his first hundred into a double. He did so with a rare loose stroke, flashing hard outside off stump and seeing the ball sail wide of second slip. Having become his country’s third youngest double centurion, after Sir Len Hutton and David Gower, Crawley hammered his next 50 in just 41 balls.
He had eyes on 300 when he danced down to Shafiq, who dragged it down leg and saw Rizwan take a smart stumping. Crawley departed to fist bumps from the Pakistan fielders.
England would add another 97 runs before Root waved his men in, Buttler dropping anchor as he made certain to follow Crawley to 150 only to give away a knock when he popped a return catch back to Fawad.
He nicked a second when Chris Woakes (40) slashed to cover, with Dom Bess and Stuart Broad enjoying some late hits before Shaheen bowled the latter. The declaration left Pakistan 13 trying overs and Anderson cashed in.
He took out both openers – Masood was lbw to one that straightened off the pitch and Abid edging to third slip – before the prize scalp of Babar, leg before to the final delivery of a remarkable day.