Agencies
Zak Crawley’s astonishing 189 stunned Australia and kept England on course for an Ashes comeback on an exhilarating second day of the fourth Test at Old Trafford.
Crawley cracked the highest score by an England batter in a home Ashes Test for 26 years to give the hosts the perfect chance of levelling the series at 2-2.
In a 182-ball stay, he crunched 21 fours and three sixes to help England to 384-4, a lead of 67.
Crawley shared a stand of 121 with Moeen Ali, who was superb in making 54 at number three, then a riotous double-century partnership with Joe Root, the former captain unlucky to fall for 84.
Though Crawley and Root were both bowled by deliveries that kept low, Harry Brook and Ben Stokes laid a platform to attack on Friday morning with an unbroken stand of 33.
On a perfect day for the home side, James Anderson removed Pat Cummins with the first ball of the morning and Chris Woakes completed his maiden five-wicket haul in an Ashes Test to dismiss Australia for 317.
With the series on the line and bad weather closing in at the weekend, England not only wanted to build a lead, but do so swiftly enough to leave time to force a result.
They did so in a fashion that was barely believable and now have a golden opportunity to level the series at 2-2 and set up a delicious Ashes decider at The Oval. Despite his modest record, England have always believed Kent’s Crawley is a match-winner. This innings, an Ashes knock for the ages, was spectacular vindication.
England were nervy in the spell to lunch. Ben Duckett edged Starc behind for one and Crawley had to overturn being given out lbw to Cameron Green on 20.
But Crawley and makeshift number-three Moeen intelligently built their century partnership and Crawley exploded into life after the break.
With flamboyant whips, handsome drives and some mighty slog sweeps, Crawley eviscerated the Australian bowling.He moved from 50 to 100 in 26 balls, a 93-ball ton England’s fourth-fastest in Ashes cricket.
Crawley crashed 106 runs from 82 balls in the session between lunch and tea. A stand of 206 with Root was racked up in only 186 deliveries.
The Australians rifled through plan and after plan, their fielding became ragged and bowlers weary.
Just as Crawley looked primed for a double ton, Green got one to keep low and he played on, leaving to rapturous applause from a crowd who had witnessed one of the all-time great hundreds.
