Get Instant News Updates
Enable
x
Notification Settings X
Time Settings
Done
Clear Notification X
Do you want to clear all the notifications from your inbox?
Settings X
For Quick Alerts
ALLOW NOTIFICATIONS  
For Daily Alerts
 

England vs Pakistan, 3rd Test, Highlights: Ton-up Zak Crawley, Jos Buttler put hosts in firm position on Day 1

England top-order batsman Zak Crawley registered his maiden Test century, finishing the day on 171*, as the hosts ended the first day's play at 332/4 at Rose Bowl in Southampton.

England vs Pakistan, 3rd Test, Highlights: Ton-up Zak Crawley, Jos Buttler put hosts in firm position on Day 1

Southampton, Aug 21: England top-order batsman Zak Crawley registered his maiden Test century, finishing the day on 171*, as the hosts ended the first day's play at 332/4 at Rose Bowl in Southampton.

Having won the toss and opted to bat, Joe Root and Co. lost an early wicket as Rory Burns was dismissed in single figures by Shaheen Afridi for the third time in four innings this series, bringing Crawley to the crease in just the fifth over of the match.

Together with Dom Sibley, Crawley weathered the rest of a testing opening spell from Pakistan while still managing to keep the scoreboard ticking along at a good rate. The pair added 61 runs in 13.5 overs before Sibley fell to Yasir Shah, with umpire Michael Gough's decision to give him out leg before despite having come down the pitch backed up by the technology.

1
46764

Crawley scored freely up into the mid-40s, at which point the Pakistan bowlers changed tack, bowling a defensive line outside his off-stump. Having taken just 46 balls to reach 45, the England No.3 had faced a further 34 deliveries by the time he finally brought up his half-century from the last ball before lunch.

After the break, Naseem Shah accounted for England captain Joe Root with a beautiful delivery moving away from the right-hander to take the edge, and Ollie Pope was bowled going back to a full-ish ball from Yasir to leave England 127/4.

Crawley remained mostly untroubled, however, and he found good company in Jos Buttler as the pair began to rebuild. The 22-year-old took the lead in the partnership but was forced to wait to bring up his maiden ton as he reached tea on 97*, bringing up the landmark swiftly after the resumption.

Following a relatively sedate start to his innings, Buttler got himself going as he took 14 runs off Yasir's 22nd over, including two sixes down the ground, and brought up the hundred partnership in the process.

Further landmarks were ticked off as Buttler passed 50, and Crawley reached his 150. The No.3 passed Ian Bell's mark of 167 to record the highest individual innings at Southampton in Tests, and one more run secured his own highest first-class score.

Both players were slightly becalmed as stumps approached, but the partnership still managed to grow beyond 200 before the end of the day, with Crawley ending 171*, while Buttler will resume just 13 runs short of what would be his second Test century on 87*.

Story first published: Friday, August 21, 2020, 23:40 [IST]
Other articles published on Aug 21, 2020