Crawley expands repertoire in bid to convey Ashes kind into Hundred

Having scored at a strike charge of 88.72 throughout 5 Tests towards Australia this summer season, a shift to 100-ball cricket has not necessitated a major change in strategy. “I try to keep it pretty similar,” Crawley defined. “I play similar shots, just a bit more aggressive and probably a bit more aerial.”

“Obviously you have to sustain and the sport’s getting extra aggressive annually, so that you try to sustain with that: I actually really feel like my sport will get extra aggressive because the years go on. But in the meanwhile, it is nonetheless about enjoying good photographs and choosing the right moments to attain.”

He unfurled a ramp when facing Luke Wood on Saturday, scooping him over short fine leg for four, and is looking to expand his range of innovative shots. “I’m making an attempt to get higher at just a few,” Crawley said. “[You will see] just a few extra sweeps, reverse-sweeps, and perhaps a ramp; aside from that, I simply attempt to play the ball on its deserves.”

“I do not really feel any completely different. I’m simply the bloke who scored runs a few weeks in the past.”

Crawley says his life has not changed much since the Ashes

He used to play the ramp regularly in his early days at Kent. “I have not performed it an excessive amount of in current instances, however earlier than I performed for England, I used to play it much more. I’ve been making an attempt to work on it and produce it again in a bit of bit extra – and hopefully [it will] liberate a few different areas to attain.”

Crawley was seen practising his reverse-sweep in the nets throughout the Ashes, having initially devised a plan to use it against Nathan Lyon. He played it three times against him before Lyon’s series-ending injury, though he continued to unfurl it against Todd Murphy and Travis Head.

“Lyon will get beautiful form on the ball, so I felt like he was OK to reverse-sweep outdoors off,” Crawley explained, speaking at the launch of KP Snacks’ community cricket pitches initiative. “It was one thing I wished to play towards him. Obviously he solely performed two Tests ultimately however hopefully, having performed that work on it, it’s going to come to fruition within the Hundred.”

Crawley is an unusual batter in that his output tends to improve as the bowling he faces gets quicker, rather than slower. “I do know the stats say that, but it surely’s by no means too simple going through somebody bowling over 90mph,” he said. “Sometimes, when somebody is bowling fast and also you get maintain if it, it goes additional.”

He believes that the reason is that a shorter reaction time allows him less time to think: “You’re simply making an attempt to react. I’m making an attempt to maintain it quite simple in the meanwhile, and perhaps that is why the short bowling has suited me a bit of bit extra previously, as a result of I haven’t got to suppose as a lot. I’ll simply must get higher at enjoying the 80mph stuff…”

As the Ashes fades into memory, Crawley says his life has not changed: “I do not really feel any completely different. I’m simply the bloke who scored runs a few weeks in the past; if I do not rating runs within the Hundred, I’ll be a bloke who would not rating runs within the Hundred. It’s a really fickle world we dwell in, so I do not get carried away an excessive amount of.

“Obviously I think back with fondness about how cool it was to play in it, but I don’t like to dwell too much on whether [a series] has gone well or badly – I just move onto the next one. If it comes into my mind, I enjoy the memories of it, but I’m very much focused on doing well in the Hundred now.”