Zak Crawley’s astonishing 189 stunned Australia and kept England on course for an Ashes comeback on an exhilarating second day of the fourth Test at Old Trafford.
Crawley cracked the highest score by an England batter in a home Ashes Test for 26 years to give the hosts the perfect chance of levelling the series at 2-2.
In a 182-ball stay, he crunched 21 fours and three sixes to help England to 384-4, a lead of 67.
Crawley shared a stand of 121 with Moeen Ali, who was superb in making 54 at number three, then a riotous double-century partnership with Joe Root, the former captain unlucky to fall for 84.
Though Crawley and Root were both bowled by deliveries that kept low, Harry Brook and Ben Stokes laid a platform to attack on Friday morning with an unbroken stand of 33.
On a perfect day for the home side, James Anderson removed Pat Cummins with the first ball of the morning and Chris Woakes completed his maiden five-wicket haul in an Ashes Test to dismiss Australia for 317.
With the series on the line and bad weather closing in at the weekend, England not only wanted to build a lead, but do so swiftly enough to leave time to force a result.
They did so in a fashion that was barely believable and now have a golden opportunity to level the series at 2-2 and set up a delicious Ashes decider at The Oval. (BBC)
