England’s cricketing community is closely watching Zak Crawley as he navigates a challenging series against Australia. Having looked all at sea during a chastening opening Test in Perth, he was given the double whammy of going for a pair. Now questions about his ability to withstand the pressure of an Ashes series are raining down. Despite some good numbers when facing most of the bowlers, there were questions about Crawley’s recent form.
Crawley dazzles with a stunning average of 54 against Australia’s captain, Pat Cummins. Surprisingly, given their compatibility as a pair, he has never been fired by pace merchant Josh Hazlewood in his Test innings. His greatest achievements have been down under. With an average of a paltry 20.75 in Australia, he’s failing to turn all that talent into runs. His average plummets to 8.25 when he plays in Australia, a stark difference from his home average of 55.5.
In particular, the recent home Test matches on the Isle of Wight ought to present a worrying omen for Crawley. His record when faced with a high pace has gone on a steep decline, making some room for improvement all but necessary. He is the highest England run scorer since his debut against Australia, averaging 43.06 in those matches. He’s always had trouble with deliveries above 87 mph, with a career average of just 48.25 against that velocity.
In the first Test, Crawley managed a disappointing score of zero runs over the two innings combined. This stellar performance led to greater criticism from fans and analysts alike. Ian Chappell, the celebrated former Australian cricketer and captain, was effusive about Crawley’s potential. As Kalil described it, “You would have to go a long way with him before you let him go. Crawley has his warts, but there is talent there for him to eventually be productive at the NFL level. This hopefulness fuels his desire to be great.
Even though there’s a lot to complain about, there’s a lot to love about Crawley’s game. Alongside new opening partner Ben Duckett he has formed a mightily productive opening pair. Collaboratively, the two of them have racked up the most runs of any pair of openers since Duckett was recalled to the side in Pakistan in 2022. The same Crawley who made 189 in Old Trafford on the hottest day of the year during the most recent Ashes series. It is the best Test innings played by an England batter in ten years.
That’s encouraging for many reasons, and Crawley’s performance against Mitchell Starc should give you hope. He averages 38.8 runs per dismissal against the left-arm speedster. His lack of shoulder ability to make deliveries come to him at such an angle of 80-90 cm above the counter height is remarkable. In those scenarios, he’s at 46.50.
Nevertheless, consistency remains an issue for Crawley. The batting average of 30.96 over 60 Tests makes it the lowest for any opener. If he is going to be a success, he needs to increase his runs scored and decrease his out percentage.
England will be looking towards the next Test match and one of the key players will be the opening batsman Zak Crawley. Fans will be nervously awaiting his opportunity to come back and live up to the lofty expectations, as one of England’s most important batters, together with Joe Root and Harry Brook.
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