Crawley passes hundred as England punish Australia to pour on the runs
Z
ak Crawley reached his first Ashes century as England piled on the runs throughout a outstanding afternoon session on the second day at Old Trafford.
Having resumed after lunch on 61 for one in reply to Australia’s 317 all out, England added 178 runs in simply 25 overs by tea to trim the vacationers’ result in 78 with eight wickets nonetheless in hand.
England should win the Fourth Test to maintain their hopes of regaining the Ashes alive and with poor climate forecast over the weekend, Ben Stokes had promised that his aspect would go on the assault in a bid to speed up the sport and drive a optimistic outcome.
Crawley led the cost, motoring from 26 off 46 balls at lunch to deliver up his fourth Test hundred from simply 93 deliveries, after which persevering with the assault to maneuver previous Stokes as England’s main run-scorer within the collection to date.
The opener, who remained unbeaten on 132 heading into the night session, made gentle of the early lack of accomplice Ben Duckett for one to share a second-wicket stand of 121 with Moeen Ali.
Moeen’s promotion to No3 already seems to have paid dividends for England, the all-rounder scoring his first Test half-century since January 2019 earlier than falling to Mitchell Starc with the assistance of an excellent Usman Khawaja catch.
By then, the platform had been set for Joe Root, who joined Crawley in one other partnership of greater than 100 and counting, exhibiting his intent by pulling his first ball for 4 and later reverse-scooping Mitchell Marsh for six. By tea, the previous captain was 44 not out from solely 35 balls, with Crawley having rattled off 100 runs within the session on his personal.
Australia, for his or her half, had been ragged within the discipline, with captain Pat Cummins dropping Moeen and struggling to provide you with the techniques to stem the move of runs.
Earlier, James Anderson had struck with the primary ball of the day as England made gentle work of Australia’s tail, the vacationers having resumed on 299 for eight.
Anderson had Cummins caught at cowl level by Stokes, and whereas Josh Hazlewood earned a reprieve off a Chris Woakes no ball within the very subsequent over, the Warwickshire seamer finally received his man to say his first Ashes five-for.