‘Elated’ Zak Crawley’s career flashed before his eyes after maiden Test century for England

As Zak Crawley hit through the off side to bring up his maiden Test hundred from 171 deliveries, he admits to his career flashing before his eyes as he soaked up the acclaim from the England balcony.

Granted a career of 44 first-class matches coming into this third Test against Pakistan would not take much time to flash by. But, seven Tests in, as he finally reached three figures and a moment he had been dreaming about since making it into the set-up last winter, all the hard work he had done to get there came flooding back to him.

It was a remarkable innings that is still not yet done, unbeaten as he is on 171 with England 33 two for four. Their 1-0 lead in the series means they are well on their way to sealing the series win, and potentially only batting once.

“I could kind of see all the nets I’d done in the past,” said Crawley on the memories going through his head. “All the time I had gone on my own to hit some balls. It seemed all worth it.

“You do question yourself when you’re in a run of low scores and you can’t buy a run, whether it was worth it or whether you’re better of doing something else. But it was a feeling that it was all worth it and it was a great feeling.”

“It feels great and just how I imagined it. An unbelievable feeling of elation out there and it makes you want it more. Hopefully, there are a few more to come after this.”

It certainly feels like there will be more, even if this was only the 22-year old’s fourth first-class hundred of his career. Though Crawley admits that even when he was in the innings itself, and as he rounded on that maiden century which he admitted was keeping him awake at night, there was a great deal of trepidation. Natural, of course, especially when he went in at tea on 97 not out. A blessing in disguise, in hindsight.

“I didn’t see tea coming because I might have tried to play a big shot,” he said. “I wouldn’t have chosen to be on 97 at tea and then the umpires said it was tea so that probably helped me. It gave me a good chance to reset.”

It did not take long for him to get there after the restart, with the final ball of the 57th over. “I was on 99 with one ball left and I didn’t want to have to wait an over on 99 so I was determined to play a shot to that ball.”

“To find the gap and to run two and come back knowing I had my first Test hundred, tt was all a bit of a blur. I could see the lads up on the balcony I was trying to stay calm but inside I was absolutely buzzing,

He also credits Jos Buttler, with whom he put on a devastating partnership of 205 for the fifth wicket, at just over four an over. Buttler, too, is in pursuit of a century – his second – as he sleeps unbeaten on 87.

“It was great to be out there with Jos, he played brilliantly today and was a very calm head for me out there and made it easier for me.”

For Crawley, while he has already passed his previous first class best of 169 against Glamorgan in 2018, a double century is on the horizon. Nevertheless, the 22 year-old is not looking that far ahead, even if it is only 29 runs away.

“The new ball is still fresh and it’s going to be a tricky 20 minutes in the morning when their bowlers would be rested up. If we can keep going the way we do and Jos keeps batting the way he does and taking the pressure off me with the way he bats then hopefully I can get a decent score.”