Ashes 2023: Zak Crawley Chooses Brilliance Over Consistency After Century On Day 2 Of 4th Test, WATCH

England batter Zak Crawley hammered 189 on Day 2 of 4th Ashes 2023 Test against Australia in Manchester on Thursday.

Zak Crawley en route to scoring a century on Day 2 of 4th Ashes 2023 Test. (Photo: AP)

Manchester: Following his massive hundred against Australia in the fourth Ashes Test at Old Trafford, England opener Zak Crawley said that though his high-risk approach as a batter has caused himself some self-doubt, he encourages himself to ‘be me’ and added that he prefers a big, impactful knock after some low scores over being more consistent.

Zak Crawley’s 189 and half-centuries by Joe Root and Moeen Ali provided 67 runs lead to England over Australia on the second day of the fourth Test match of the Ashes series here at Old Trafford Cricket Ground on Thursday.

Right from the moment he launched the first delivery of the Ashes bowled by Aussie skipper Pat Cummins for four, Crawley has been repaying the faith shown by skipper Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum during 2021 and 2022, when he battled patchy form and inconsistency. Stokes-McCullum backed him to come good and live up to his potential, often saying that his impactful innings at the top could prove match-winning and drive England’s ‘Bazball’ approach of cricket forward, which favours aggression, positivity and hunger for a win or a result at least.

After scoring 173 in 16 innings at an average of around 10 in 2021 and 844 in 29 innings at an average of just above 30, Crawley has shown massive improvement this year. With 518 runs in 13 innings at an average of over 42, one century and two fifties, Crawley is having a great year in red-ball cricket so far.

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He is currently the highest run-scorer in this year’s Ashes. He has scored 385 runs in seven innings of four matches at an average of 55.00 with one century and one fifty. His runs have come at a strike rate of almost 90. These numbers have surely made the hard times worth enduring.

“Today was a good day for us. We are in a good position as a team. It was good fun. I rode my luck at times but hit some good shots along the way. I do doubt myself at times but I have to say ‘keep being me’. That is the way I play. I am quite streaky but then I go on a run. They [coach and captain] tell me to go out and have an impact at the top of the order. Sometimes I am going to have streaks of a low scores, because I am taking a punt, but thankfully today it came off,” said Crawley as quoted by Sky Sports.

Last summer when he was facing low scores, McCullum defended Crawley, saying that his ‘skillset is not to be a consistent cricketer’. Crawley feels that criticism over consistency is fair, but he would not have days like the one at Old Trafford if he chases consistency.

“They do not want me to lose days like today. If I try to be more consistent, maybe I would not have a day like today. I much prefer this, a few low scores and then a big one. (Criticism) is definitely fair, because I have not been consistent, but I think I have shown that, at my best, I am good enough for this level. I was pleased with how it went. That was more my template,” said Crawley.

Crawley’s aggression against Travis Head, Aussie’s part-time spinner without their frontline star Nathan Lyon and Cummins, who went for 93 runs in his 16 overs, was a major highlight of his knock.

“It is definitely a conscious effort to take them down, because obviously they are great bowlers who are trying to rest (between spells). When those bowlers come on, I think it is important to put them under pressure and so that does not give them time to rest and come back. I would try to bat time and build an innings like [Joe] Root or any of those guys up there, but it is much better when I put the bowler under a bit more pressure before they can get me. Sometimes it comes off, and sometimes it doesn’t,” he said.

Despite his massive figures, his century did not look convincing to many as he inside-edged past his own stumps frequently for four and some shots just flew over the slips for four and looked close enough to be caught. Crawley feels that he has earned this luck.

“I have had a lot of nicks over the slips this series. And actually, I do not think that is good luck. I have earned that luck. If you go harder, the ball goes over the slips. So I would rather err on that side then go negative,” he said.