Crawley

Crawley began the Ashes series with a pair in the first Test in Perth, facing only 11 deliveries in the match.

Since then he has made scores of 76 and 44 in the second Test in Brisbane, and a battling 85 in the second innings of the third Test in Adelaide.

The Kent man’s 37 at the beginning of England’s run-chase in the fourth Test in Melbourne was vital to the tourists recording their first victory in Australia for 15 years and cutting the series deficit to 3-1.

“Zak Crawley frustrates the life out of me,” said Vaughan, who captained England to their famous Ashes triumph of 2005.

“His concentration levels are not the strongest. If you go to the start of the series where he played the big booming drives, those drives have gone away now. He’s not chasing the ball outside off stump.

“But today I was watching him and that should not get you out as a quality opening batter.”

In Sydney, Crawley returned to the ground where he made an impressive 77 in the fourth Test of England’s previous Ashes tour in 2021-22 – an innings that kickstarted his career.

He has now opened the batting in 103 Test innings and returned an average of 30.82 – the lowest of any batter in Test history to have as many opportunities at the top of the order.

But Vaughan, who made three centuries as an opener in England’s Ashes tour of 2002-03, believes England should persevere with Crawley in the aftermath of this latest series defeat in Australia.

“I hear fans around the world saying Crawley averages 30, but there’s a bigger average in him than he’s giving at the moment,” said Vaughan. “It’s just concentration.

“I know there is a lot more in the tank and I do think England have to stay with him.

“The movement he had today was fantastic but he needs to understand the concentration levels required at this kind of level to go on and average 40 to 45 over the course of the next two or three years.

“I think he could do if he can find that concentration.”

Opener Zak Crawley suggested he was not aware of comments made by Ben Stokes when the England captain said his dressing room is “not a place for weak men”.

Stokes made the statement in multiple interviews following England’s defeat in the second Ashes Test against Australia earlier this month.

In the run-up to the third Test, in which England are set to be beaten to lose the series at the earliest opportunity, Stokes said he had let his message “drift around” his players.

“I’ve done all the talking over the past two days that I needed to have done,” said the all-rounder.

But after Crawley made 85 on the fourth day of the third Test in Adelaide, he said: “I didn’t see that.

“I didn’t see and wasn’t really looking out for it. We take everything that is said in the media with a pinch of salt.”

Stokes made the “weak men” comment after England were beaten in Brisbane to go 2-0 down.

The England squad subsequently went on holiday to Noosa between the second and third Tests.

Before this match in Adelaide, Stokes said his team had held “raw” conversations. The captain also asked his players to “show a bit of dog” in their battle to remain in the series.

But Kent’s Crawley stated the messaging from Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum had remained consistent with their previous three years in charge.

“It’s been very positive, the same as always,” said Crawley. “[It’s] just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with lots of freedom. It felt like we could do something special going into this game.”

England are on the brink of an Ashes series defeat after Australia’s Nathan Lyon broke their resistance late on the fourth day of the third Test in Adelaide.

Off-spinner Lyon removed a reverse-sweeping Harry Brook, bowled Ben Stokes and, crucially, had Zak Crawley stumped to move the home side within touching distance of the urn.

Crawley compiled an impressive 85, but when he was seduced by a delirious Lyon, England were left 194-6 in pursuit of a notional target of 435.

Australia will return on Sunday needing four more wickets to go 3-0 up after three Tests, retain the Ashes after only 11 days of cricket and win a fourth consecutive home series against England.

Lyon’s intervention – England lost three wickets for 17 runs in six overs – came after the tourists finally showed a willingness to adapt their Bazballing ways.

It was the recognition of the situation and a realisation that some players – Crawley included – are fighting for their futures and reputations.

After Stokes returned to bowling with seven overs from the start of play, the tourists took the last six Australia wickets for 38 runs to dismiss the hosts for 349 in their second innings.

Travis Head was eventually out for 170 and Alex Carey 72. Josh Tongue ended with 4-70 and Brydon Carse 3-80.

A four-day finish felt probable when Ben Duckett was out in the first over of England’s chase and Ollie Pope is in huge danger of being dropped for the fourth Test after falling for 17.

Then came Crawley’s show of defiance, ended by the genius of Lyon.