Fifth in our countdown of the Test innings of 2023 is Zak Crawley’s Manchester masterclass – his 182-ball 189 in the fourth Ashes Test at Old Trafford.
Wisden’s men’s Test innings of 2023, No.5: Zak Crawley – 189
England vs Australia
Fourth Test, Manchester
Sometimes the scorecard can be deceiving.
Think of Virat Kohli’s 38 first-inning runs at Centurions or Jonny Bairstow’s 37 first-inning runs in the recent Hyderabad Test. Two shots that started perfectly, but ended prematurely with an unplayable line of play, and in the final analysis perhaps did not do justice to the batsmanship displayed. Both fighters fought with less control and achieved better results.
In some cases, the opposite is true. Take for example Zak Crawley’s 14-ball four in the first Test of last year’s series in New Zealand. On paper, it was an early failure against the new ball, but in reality it was more chaotic, perhaps not dissimilar to Ollie Pope’s timid first 11 balls at Hyderabad.
Span Crawley followed with scores of 28, 4 and 24 and the memories of the happy 100th day in Rawalpindi faded into the distance.
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Old questions about his suitability for moving balls have resurfaced. Despite the occasional flash, the conclusion is that good days like this are far too rare for the Test opener to face perhaps the world’s most formidable fast bowling unit in the 2023 Ashes. It was difficult to escape. Even his mature head coach effectively labeled Crowley as the type of opener who was never consistent. To be fair, the numbers bear that out. At the end of the New Zealand tour, Crawley had averaged 27.60 in 33 Tests. His first-class average was also hovering around the 30s. With the return of Jonny Bairstow on the horizon, Crawley was the obvious candidate to make way for several pundits.
“I was going to hit Ash’s first ball with a four-four,” Crowley said after the series.
From that moment at Edgbaston, instantly incorporated into Ashe folklore, Crawley had a very different energy. For the first time in his England career he felt he understood what kind of batsman he wanted to be. Crowley struggled to establish himself and at times almost imitated a caricature of what his opening batsman should be. Against his natural instincts and strength, he is stuck at home playing a survival game.
Zak Crawley celebrates reaching his century during day two of the fourth Ashes between England and Australia at Emirates Old Trafford on July 20, 2023 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)
He found the perfect partner in Ben Duckett. Crawley was a combative left-footer who was almost allergic to being off the ball, but he had someone in his side who wanted to challenge the orthodoxy of what an England opener should be. They have quietly become England’s most consistent Ashes opening pair here in his decade.
The highlight of their series was undoubtedly Crawley’s Old Trafford masterclass. A perfect delivery outside the off-stump, a ball that had previously been his undoing, became his bread and butter. His intentions were clear from the beginning. He lunged at Josh Hazlewood, his length was generally impeccable, and he flung it over mid-wicket. Crowley was determined not to colonize Australia. Australia went into the Test without their frontline spinners, with Todd Murphy also absent after the Headingley Test. Travis Head, who is more than viable as a part-time off-spin option, was expected to step up. His first two pitches? There were 4 reverse sweeps and 6 slog sweeps.
Crowley was relentless. When he had a chance to score a goal, he took it. Australia’s legendary attack seemed to lack imagination and the most likely way to fight it off was a lopsided lofted drive to a man who slipped on the spot. In the end he advanced at 189. His superb possession for 182 balls gave England a clear lead to a series-level victory.
Crawley left the pitch grateful for what he had just witnessed, with the blessings of the Australian team and the admiration of the enthusiastic Old Trafford crowd. In some cases, the result book can be deceptive. Crawley’s 189 was even better than it looked on paper.
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