Zak Crawley has made a mockery of Australia’s world-class bowling attack on day two of the Old Trafford Ashes Test, with the opener’s brutal demolition putting England in a commanding position in Manchester.
The 25-year-old smacked a ferocious 189 from 182 balls on Thursday, including 21 boundaries and three sixes, to register the highest score by an English cricketer in a home Ashes Test since 1997.
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England, potentially wary of the lingering threat of rain, raced towards 4-384 at stumps, leading by 67 runs with captain Ben Stokes (24*) and Harry Brook (14*) unbeaten overnight.
Crawley received support from Moeen Ali, who achieved his first Ashes fifty in eight years, and former captain Joe Root, who departed late in the evening session for a superb 84 (95).
Root and Crawley combined for a 206-run stand for the third wicket in just 186 deliveries, England’s highest partnership in a home Ashes in 26 years.
Crawley is now the leading run-scorer of the series, repaying the selectors’ faith after an underwhelming start to his Test career.
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Australia, who didn’t have a strike spinner at their disposal, copped the full brunt of Bazball in a staggering post-lunch onslaught, with the hosts scoring at 7.12 per over during the entertaining afternoon session.
Pat Cummins and the Australians will be praying for heavy rain after their most challenging day of the series to date — the tourists only need a draw to retain the coveted Ashes urn.
Meanwhile, Australia will be sweating on the fitness of Mitchell Starc, who sustained what appeared to be a left shoulder injury while fielding at mid-on late in the evening session.
Australia resumed day two at 8-299, but captain Cummins couldn’t add to his overnight tally, dismissed by James Anderson on the first delivery of the morning. Cummins attempted to slap the England veteran through the covers but instead spooned a catch towards Stokes for 1.
Chris Woakes found Josh Hazlewood’s outside edge the following over, with Crawley swallowing the chance at second slip – but replays showed the England quick had overstepped.
Woakes finally secured his maiden Ashes five-wicket haul a few overs later when Hazlewood edged another chance to Ben Duckett at third slip — Australia was all out for 317, with Starc finishing unbeaten on 36.
England’s innings got off to a shaky start, losing opener Duckett in the third over for 1 – the left-hander’s expansive drive against Starc was feathered through to wicketkeeper Alex Carey, who pouched the regulation chance.
Hazlewood, persisting with a good line and length, found Crawley’s outside edge in the eighth over, but the ball didn’t carry to David Warner at first slip.
Moments before the lunch break, Crawley was given out LBW on 20 during Cameron Green’s first over of the match, but the decision was overturned following a review, with Hawkeye suggesting the ball would have missed leg stump.
After the interval, Crawley flashed at a wide delivery from Green, with the outside edge narrowly evading Usman Khawaja at gully. A few overs later, Cummins drew the England opener’s inside edge, but a diving Carey couldn’t hold onto the tough chance low to his left.
It was a nervy start for Crawley, but he picked up the tempo when Travis Head was introduced to the attack in the 23rd over, cracking the part-timer’s first two deliveries to the boundary.
Australia’s frustration grew in the 27th over when Cummins dropped a low chance off Hazlewood’s bowling, giving Ali an additional life on 53. However, the England No. 3 couldn’t make the most of the reprieve, guiding a pull shot towards Khawaja at mid-wicket the following over to become Starc’s second victim, gone for 54.
Crawley continued attacking Australia’s bowlers at the other end, racing towards a maiden Ashes century — he had gone from fifty to his hundred in just 23 balls.
After achieving the second-fastest Test hundred by an England opener, Crawley removed his helmet and saluted the Manchester crowd, which had risen to its feet. He had reached the milestone in 93 balls, making it the second-fastest century at Old Trafford in Test history.
Australia didn’t know how to stem the flow of runs, with Root joining the demolition — the hosts passed 200 in the 36th over and showed no signs of slowing down.
Root nailed a trademark reverse ramp against Mitchell Marsh over deep third man for six before Crawley creamed a slog sweep against Head over the deep mid-wicket boundary. England had blasted 178 runs from 25 overs in the afternoon session, with Crawley responsible for 107.
Early in the evening session, Cummins thought he had unearthed the much-needed breakthrough with an inside edge onto Crawley’s thigh guard that ballooned towards the slips cordon, but replays showed no contact with bat.
Root reached fifty with another reverse paddle against the Australian captain, with his partner passing 150 a couple of overs later. Crawley continued finding the boundary rope with ease, flicking towards fine leg when bowlers slid onto his pads, which happened far too often, and driving down the ground when seamers overpitched.
England flew past Australia’s first-innings total in the 55th over before Green finally broke the marathon partnership, with Crawley awkwardly chopping on for 189. Root followed him to the sheds shortly after, bowled by a Hazlewood grubber that hardly bounced and crept under his bat.
Cummins’ horror day continued in the 64th over, with the Australian captain missing a chance to run out Stokes at the non-striker’s end, giving his rival skipper an extra life on 7.
There were some nervous faces in the Australian camp when Starc gingerly walked off the field with a suspected shoulder injury the following over, but the left-armer thankfully returned a few minutes later. However, the 33-year-old was reluctant to throw the ball, trudging back off again after a handful of deliveries.
Stokes and Brook patiently guided England safely to stumps, wrapping up a phenomenal day of Test cricket for the hosts.
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