England's Crawley turns maiden Test ton into double century against Pakistan
England's Crawley turns maiden Test ton into double century against Pakistan
SOUTHAMPTON (AFP) - England’s Zak Crawley converted his maiden Test hundred into a double century as he shared a record-breaking stand with Jos Buttler on the second day of the series finale against Pakistan at Southampton on Saturday.
One of the few false shots of his innings saw Crawley, 186 not out at lunch, go to 200 when he edged a four past second slip off teenage paceman Naseem Shah -- his 25th boundary in 331 balls.
The 22-year-old Crawley was the seventh England batsman to turn his maiden Test hundred into a double century and the first since Kent predecessor Rob Key did so against the West Indies at Lord’s in 2004.
Earlier, Buttler completed just the second hundred of his 47-match Test career and first as a wicketkeeper.
The pair, who had come together at 127-4, took England past 400.
Crawley and Buttler’s partnership was a new England fifth-wicket record in Test cricket, surpassing the 254 shared by Keith Fletcher and Tony Greig against India at the Brabourne Stadium in Bombay (now Mumbai) in February 1973.
England, 1-0 up in a three-match series and needing to avoid defeat at the Ageas Bowl to secure a first series win over Pakistan in a decade, resumed in a commanding position at 332-4.
Crawley was 171 not out, after posting a maiden century at this level in his eighth Test on Friday, with Buttler 87 not out.
Buttler, whose 75 at Old Trafford helped England to a three-wicket win in the first Test, had moved into the 90s by the time the first of two rain breaks kept the players off the field for nearly two hours in total.
But the umpires, much criticised for not doing enough to get play underway in a drawn second Test at Southampton marred by weather interruptions, extended the pre-lunch session until 2:00pm local time (1300 GMT).
It took Crawley 25 balls to add to his overnight score but he did so in style, elegantly flicking a half-volley from left-arm quick Shaheen Afridi off his pads for four through midwicket.
