The Ashes 2023: Zak Crawley says England plan to bat once in fourth Test

Zak Crawley expects England volition program to bat conscionable erstwhile successful the must-win 4th Ashes Test astatine Old Trafford.

Crawley led the mode with a superb 189 from 182 balls but with rainfall forecast implicit the weekend, England indispensable determine connected the champion attack to unit a effect and level the series.

"Anything tin hap with [Ben] Stokes," Crawley said.

"While we person 2 precise bully players astatine the crease [Stokes and Harry Brook] and Jonny [Bairstow] inactive to come, positive a beardown tail, I deliberation the gameplan volition beryllium to bat good time and bat once.

"Maybe if we suffer a mates of aboriginal wickets time that changes but we'd similar a large pb and vessel them retired and not person to bat again.

"That would beryllium perfect and we are not expecting that... we are expecting them to bat well."

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Speaking to BBC Test Match Special, helium added: "We'll conscionable support trying to people quickly. It volition beryllium bully bowling last.

"I deliberation the transportation volition commencement playing tricks truthful the bigger pb we tin get, the better."

With Australia starring the five-match bid 2-1, England request to triumph to support their chances of regaining the Ashes alive.

The menace of rainfall - with the forecast suggesting Saturday could beryllium a washout - importantly increases the chances of a gully that would spot Australia clasp the urn.

England did their spot to support the Test moving guardant by scoring 178 runs successful conscionable 25 overs successful the day session, with Crawley accounting for 106 of them.

"I was conscionable trying to play my earthy game," helium said.

"I similar to beryllium affirmative against them. I've scored quicker successful this bid than against astir and I deliberation that's conscionable the prime of their bowlers, I don't privation to beryllium determination for excessively agelong due to the fact that there's a bully shot successful there.

"I batted good astatine times and scored truly rapidly successful definite patches, past tried to sorb and get a fewer singles successful others.

"We haven't truly focused excessively overmuch connected the weather, we're conscionable controlling what we tin control. If that comes, we'll interest astir that aboriginal successful the game."

Having been bowled retired for 317 aboriginal successful the day, Australia struggled for power with the stroke-making of Crawley, Moeen Ali and Joe Root putting important unit connected the visitors' bowlers.

Every frontline bowler went astatine a minimum of 4 runs an implicit with skipper Pat Cummins going astatine 5.81 and ending the time wicketless done 16 overs.

"An incredibly pugnacious time but afloat recognition to England the mode that they played, successful peculiar Crawley, an outstanding innings," Australia caput manager Andrew McDonald told BBC Today astatine the Test.

"I deliberation the transportation volition commencement to play up. We're a small spot down astatine the infinitesimal to see that and what it whitethorn look similar to vessel connected last.

"Draws don't origin successful astatine the velocity these Tests are being played astatine truthful that was ne'er discussed coming in.

"I cognize there's been a batch of speech astir the upwind but we thought we were going to get washed retired successful our preparations and we got 2 cracking days to prepare.

"The upwind is unpredictable truthful the gully and the upwind wasn't a origin successful our thinking."

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