Cricket is a numbers game and Zak Crawley’s work makes for interesting reading. These are not what you would expect from a Test opener who has played 60 matches.
The average score was below 31, with Crawley dropping to 30.96 for a loose drive in Perth, but he had 44 single-digit dismissals in his 109 knocks. He scored nine runs or fewer in 41 percent of his innings.
But England didn’t choose Crawley because of his numbers. They pick him for his aggression, what he can do at his best against world-class bowlers.
We believe that he is a quality player, especially in this situation against this type of opponent. Sometimes they come out cheaper, right? I wish I hadn’t, but that’s life. If he can get going, he can do some damage.
England head coach Brendon McCullum talks about Zac Crawley
If England’s batting is truly “atmosphere-based”, as the Australian media suggested after the tourists’ capitulation in the first Ashes Test, then Crawley is the epitome of it.
Head coach Brendon McCullum once remarked that Crawley’s skillset “wouldn’t make him a consistent cricketer”, much to the derision of pundits and fans (though the batsman was at the peak of his consistency with two first-over ducks in Perth).
Instead, McCullum focused on the opener’s ability to “win England matches”, or at least help England win, which also happened from time to time in the Buzz Ball era.
Against Pakistan in Rawalpindi in 2022, his 86-ball hundred gave him time to take 20 wickets on the flattest of pitches as England racked up 500 on the first day.
Rain dashed the hosts’ hopes of taking the Ashes to the series decider at Kia Oval after his brilliant 189 smashed wide against Australia in Manchester in 2023.
He played a knock of 65 against India at Leeds last summer, and his opening stand of 188 with Ben Duckett helped England beat a 371-run chase.
Crawley was not out in the first over of both England innings in Perth.
So England’s faith in Crawley – some would say blind – is not entirely unwarranted. He averaged 38 points against Australia and 54 points against Australian captain Pat Cummins. Pat Cummins could return from injury for the second day-night Test in Brisbane from December 4.
But even if he improved during Buzzball, there are few game-changing interventions that McCollum of Crawley talks about.
In the 21 Tests before Buzz, he averaged 28.60 points (200, 550 points). He averaged 32.26 points (300, 1450) in 39 Tests with Baz, but this figure would have been even better had he not averaged a shocking 12.31 in eight matches against New Zealand.
England go all in at Crawley for the Ashes after Sydney knock in 2021/22 season
One of Crawley’s key figures that England focused on was the 76 points he scored in Sydney against the Ashes in 2021-22. A knockout of authority, fluency and simplicity, he impressed Sky Sports’ Nasser Hussain and many Australian greats.
Crawley scored 500 and 1950 points in 60 Tests for England.
From there, England gave Crawley their all for this Ashes, finding a player who could thrive on Australia’s fast, true pitches.
That’s why they resisted calls to take him down and ignored the low scores (Crawley has 12 ducks in Test cricket, eight of which have come in the Buzz Ball period).
For someone with a dark, twisted sense of humor (something that often comes in handy supporting England), it’s also why his failure to score in Perth is pretty funny.
If Crawley’s streak had been the cause of England’s defeat, there might have been some pressure on his position, but that was not the case. There were other players who were even more guilty. The first time is a happy hooker, the second time is a dull driver.
Crawley is most likely to feature in the second day-night Ashes Test in Brisbane from December 4.
Stuart Broad and Mitchell Starc, who twice removed Crawley at the Optus Stadium, has the best record of any bowler in pink-ball Tests (81 wickets in 14 matches, an average of 17.08) England still refuse to give up faith in Crawley, even though the Perth nightmare left him in a “terrible place”, according to Mitchell Starc.
Besides, who will replace Crowley? There is no back-up opener in the main team – perhaps Jacob Bethell could do the job with a push – and giving a Test debut to Lions opener Ben McKinney or Tom Haynes in an Ashes series where the home team is doing well would probably be a step too bold for even this most adventurous of setups.
If England wanted to install someone up top from their mid-order, as Australia did with Perth’s Travis ‘Travball’ Head, the most likely option will always be selfless skipper Ben Stokes. But again, that won’t happen.
Jacob Bethell is a reserve batsman for England’s Ashes team
So Crowley will be there for now, if not in the long-term future.
The fact that England only gave the opener a one-year central contract can be read as being due to the fact that he has only really played in Tests, or perhaps because he is running out of rope.
Crowley has been patient because of this Ashes series, and if this Ashes series doesn’t work out, his job, along with several others, will be in jeopardy. That’s how the Ashes series works. In the case of defective products, it is rare that head rolling does not occur.
All Crowley can do now is numbers. A big and important number. A number other than 0 is the starting point.
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Stuart Broad reflects on England’s collapse in the first Ashes Test against Australia and what exactly went wrong to throw away their chances of victory
Ashes Series in Australia 2025-26
UK and Ireland all the time
1st test (Perspective – 21st to 25th November): Australia defeats England by 8 wickets 2nd Test (day/night): Thursday 4th December to Monday 8th December (4am) – The Gabba, Brisbane 3rd Test : Wednesday 17 December – Sunday 21 December (11:30pm) – Adelaide Oval Fourth Test: Thursday 25 December – Monday 29 December (11:30pm) – Melbourne Cricket Ground 5th Test: Sunday 4 January to Thursday 8 January (11:30pm) – Sydney Cricket Ground
