England vs Pakistan: Zak Crawley becomes 3rd youngest Englishman to score 200 in Test cricket

Zak Crawley on Saturday scored his maiden double hundred in first-class cricket during the ongoing third and final Test against Pakistan in Southampton to put England in a commanding position. Resuming on his overnight score of 171, Crawley got to the landmark with a boundary off 331 balls in the first session on Day 2.

At 22 years and 201 days Crawley is the 3rd youngest England batsman to score 200 runs in a Test innings after Len Hutton and David Gower. He’s hit 24 boundaries so far and isn’t showing any signs of stopping any time soon.

Even his maiden hundred on Day 1 was the first by a No. 3 batsman for England since November 2018, and a first on home soil in 4 years. The position has been a problem area, but perhaps not anymore. His father John Crawley had also scored his maiden Test hundred against Pakistan in 1996.

But Zak went ahead and coverted his maiden Test hundred into a double century, a feat which 6 English batsmen achieved before him.

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Crawley is only playing in his 8th Test match because vice-captain and all-rounder Ben Stokes went back home to attend to a family matter back in New Zealand, and now looks undroppable on this form.

The last Kent player to register a Test century before Zak Crawley was Robert Key in July 2004. It was then his maiden Test 100+ score, which he converted into a double (221).
Now 16 yrs later, Crawley also gets to his maiden Test 100, which is also a double! #EngvPak#EngvsPak

— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) August 22, 2020

England have dominated all the sessions so far in the match with their score reading 391 for 4 at the time of publishing this article with Jos Buttler batting on 116 at the other end.

Crawley and Buttler have added over 270 runs so far, the highest 5th-wicket partnership in Test cricket for England. The duo had come together when England were in a spot of bother at 127 for 4 but the hosts are now in a position to dictate terms against the visitors.

Earlier it was Buttler who reached triple figures with his second hundred in Test cricket and first in over two years for England.

Buttler was perhaps on the brink of getting ousted from England’s Test XI due to his poor form as batsman and wicketkeeper but managed to retain his place after scoring 67 in the third Test against West Indies, which England won to clinch the series.

Buttler then scored a stroke-filled 75 in the first Test against Pakistan, helping England win the game by 3 wickets along with Chris Woakes who scored 84 not out.

And now this innings will surely end all doubts regarding his place in the Test side and highlight his importance in England’s middle-order.

England lead the three-match series 1-0 after winning the 1st Test in Manchester while the rain-curtailed 2nd game in Southampton had ended in a draw. This is the final international game of the English summer.