Crawley sends England into comfortable position

(ESPNCRICINFO) – Zak Crawley’s 189 off 182 balls sent England roaring into the lead at Emirates Old Trafford, giving them hope of beating both a frazzled Australia side and the Manchester weather to square the series two-all.

With rain expected to wipe out the fourth and fifth days, Ben Stokes hinted the day before this Test that England would adjust their strategy accordingly by doubling-down on their ultra-attacking style with the bat. True to their captain’s word, they overhauled Australia’s first-innings 317 inside 55 overs.

And it was Crawley who led the way. He flicked the first ball of England’s innings past Alex Carey for four and, after a shaky start before lunch, he batted with utter disdain against the best seam attack in the world throughout the afternoon. His first Ashes hundred took only 93 balls, the fourth-fastest by an Englishman, and left Pat Cummins and his bowlers floundering.

England scored at a run rate of 7.12 during a heady second session, adding 178 in 25 overs. Alongside Moeen Ali, then Joe Root – who both made half-centuries of their own – Crawley pulled, drove, flicked and slog-swept his way to three figures, then accelerated past 150 after tea.

He fell 11 runs short of a second Test double-hundred, bottom-edging a swing across the line onto his own stumps, but by that stage he had become the leading run-scorer in the series. It served as vindication of England’s faith in an opening batter who had arrived at the ground on Thursday morning with an average below 30, yet has come to represent their progress under Stokes and Brendon McCullum.

Australia were a bowler down by the close after Mitchell Starc damaged his left shoulder while diving in the field. Despite the wicket of Root for 84, bowled by a ball which shot through low from Josh Hazlewood, they lacked any semblance of control; their decision not to field a frontline spinner for the first time in a decade was exposed as a blunder.

There were few signs early in Crawley’s innings of what was to come. He played-and-missed several times against Starc and Hazlewood in their initial new-ball bursts, edging Hazlewood just short of Steven Smith at slip on 12. When Cummins came into attack in the 12th over, Crawley edged his first ball past his own stumps.

He lost his opening partner Ben Duckett to the 13th ball of the England innings, edging Starc’s outswinger behind, and Moeen’s driving outside his off stump was fast and loose as he walked out in his temporary role as a makeshift No. 3. Crawley himself was given out lbw on 20, trapped on the front pad by Cameron Green, but reviewed successfully.

But in the over before lunch, he creamed a trademark cover drive for four off Cummins and never looked back. Carey couldn’t get his hand to a half-chance via the inside edge as he cruised towards a 67-ball half-century, raised with a reverse-swept four off Travis Head’s first ball and celebrated with a swept six off his second.