The Ashes 2023: Zak Crawley's 189 gives England lead over Australia in fourth Test

Zak Crawley's astonishing 189 stunned Australia and kept England connected people for an Ashes comeback connected an exhilarating 2nd time of the 4th Test astatine Old Trafford.

In a 182-ball stay, helium crunched 21 fours and 3 sixes to assistance England to 384-4, a pb of 67.

Crawley shared a basal of 121 with Moeen Ali, who was superb successful making 54 astatine fig three, past a riotous double-century concern with Joe Root, the erstwhile skipper unlucky to autumn for 84.

Though Crawley and Root were some bowled by deliveries that kept low, Harry Brook and Ben Stokes laid a level to onslaught connected Friday greeting with an unbroken basal of 33.

On a cleanable time for the location side, James Anderson removed Pat Cummins with the archetypal shot of the greeting and Chris Woakes completed his maiden five-wicket haul successful an Ashes Test to disregard Australia for 317.

With the bid connected the enactment and atrocious upwind closing successful astatine the weekend, England not lone wanted to physique a lead, but bash truthful swiftly capable to permission clip to unit a result.

They did truthful successful a manner that was hardly believable and present person a aureate accidental to level the bid astatine 2-2 and acceptable up a delicious Ashes decider astatine The Oval.

• Reaction to time 2 astatine Old Trafford

England ambush rattled Aussies

Even the astir optimistic England instrumentality could not person predicted this. Their day-one show with the ball, reducing Australia to 299-8, created the imaginable of 1 bully batting innings levelling the series. There was besides the information of 1 illness surrendering immoderate accidental of lifting the urn.

What transpired was England's champion time of the summertime - a solemnisation of everything bully astir the cricket they person played nether Stokes and Brendon McCullum, lapped up by the Old Trafford Party Stand.

If Australia were yet to beryllium afloat Bazballed, they person now, steamrollered by Crawley and co successful way of demolition that scattered fielders, frazzled minds and did horrific harm to bowling figures. Off-spinner Todd Murphy, the notable absentee from the Australia XI, would person been relieved to beryllium moving drinks alternatively than bowling.

To compound an atrocious time for the tourists, accelerated bowler Mitchell Starc struggled with a hamstring wounded past wounded his near enarthrosis diving successful the field.

Anderson had Cummins caught astatine screen portion Woakes needed 2 goes astatine having fig 11 Josh Hazlewood caught successful the slips - the archetypal was a no-ball. It proved to beryllium the lone blight connected England's day.

With dense rainfall forecast for Saturday and Sunday, England knew they had to people quickly. They did truthful with controlled aggression, glorious strokeplay and urgent running. The hosts could consciousness successful a presumption to person Australia batting again earlier luncheon connected Friday.

Any tilt astatine triumph volition person to travel with the upwind looming and connected a transportation starting to amusement immoderate signs of crisp adaptable bounce.

But England person engineered a immense opening. They person ne'er returned from 2-0 down to triumph an Ashes series. The comeback is on.

Zak attack

Despite his humble record, England person ever believed Kent's Crawley is simply a match-winner. This innings, an Ashes sound for the ages, was spectacular vindication.

England were nervy successful the spell to lunch. Ben Duckett edged Starc down for 1 and Crawley had to overturn being fixed retired lbw to Cameron Green connected 20.

But Crawley and makeshift number-three Moeen intelligently built their period concern and Crawley exploded into beingness aft the break.

With flamboyant whips, handsome drives and immoderate mighty slog sweeps, Crawley eviscerated the Australian bowling. He moved from 50 to 100 successful 26 balls, a 93-ball ton England's fourth-fastest successful Ashes cricket.

Crawley crashed 106 runs from 82 balls successful the league betwixt luncheon and tea. A basal of 206 with Root was racked up successful lone 186 deliveries. The Australians rifled done program and aft plan, their fielding became ragged and bowlers weary.

Just arsenic Crawley looked primed for a treble ton, Green got 1 to support debased and helium played on, leaving to rapturous applause from a assemblage who had witnessed 1 of the all-time large hundreds.

Root and Moeen caput supporting cast

This was a superb effort from Moeen, who came retired of status for this bid and finds himself arsenic the lone frontline spinner successful the lucifer and filling an important spread successful the England order.

He batted with composure and displayed the unusual interaction of style. The lasting ovation for reaching his archetypal Test half-century successful 4 years recognised Moeen's selfless work this summer. He was unlucky that a full-blooded propulsion disconnected Starc was sharply taken by Usman Khawaja.

Root arrived with the people astatine 130-2 and the crippled successful the balance, but was instantly astatine his impish, imperious best.

He dealt with Australia's short-ball program by expertly executing hooks and pulls. His intent to people brought 40 disconnected his archetypal 30 balls - Root's fastest ever commencement to a Test innings. He played his trademark reverse-scoops disconnected Mitchell Marsh and Cummins.

Root deserved a period of his own, lone to beryllium bowled by a scuttler from Hazlewood - keeping adjacent little than the 1 that got Crawley.

The mode successful which Brook and Stokes calmly played for the greeting is ominous for the Australians. The show of 'nighthawk' Stuart Broad padded up precocious successful the time was a motion of England's intent.