Zak Crawley stamped his authority on Day 1 of the one-off four-day Check towards Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge with a composed and fluent century that guided England to a dominant place.
Zak Crawley leads England’s cost with a commanding century
Opening the innings alongside Ben Duckett, Crawley displayed calm temperament and guaranteed footwork, forging a mammoth 231-run stand for the opening wicket. It was a scientific efficiency on a dry floor that posed little problem to the English top-order. Duckett and Crawley initially navigated cautiously however rapidly shifted gears to take full management by the lunch break, posting an unbeaten 130-run partnership. Duckett reached his hundred early within the second session, changing his begin right into a glowing 140 off simply 123 balls earlier than falling within the forty second over. Crawley, who had settled right into a rhythm by then, continued to build up runs with maturity, citing his personal century through the closing session of the day. By tea, England had firmly asserted themselves, crossing the 300-run mark, with Ollie Pope providing regular assist from the opposite finish.
Zimbabwe bowlers toil as circumstances favour batting on Day 1 of one-off Check
The inexperience of Zimbabwe’s bowling assault was laid naked below shiny skies and on a placid Trent Bridge floor that provided no lateral motion or bounce. The pitch was dry and benign, requiring precision and variation, however the visiting bowlers failed to use constant strain. Their traces have been typically wayward, and the lengths provided too many scoring alternatives, notably by way of the covers and sq. of the wicket. Crawley and Duckett took full benefit of the luxurious afforded by the Zimbabweans, usually piercing the sphere with elegant stroke play and sustaining a wholesome scoring price all through the day.
There have been few performs and misses, and no seen indicators of discomfort. Duckett’s century got here at a run-a-ball tempo, demonstrating England’s aggressive mindset on this new period of red-ball cricket. Crawley, in the meantime, paced his innings extra historically, reaching his century from 145 deliveries, mixing persistence with well timed aggression. Zimbabwe’s bowlers have been left looking for solutions, unable to provide the breakthroughs or sustained spells of strain required to problem a high quality England prime order.
Additionally READ: ENG vs ZIM: Followers go wild as Ben Duckett lights up Nottingham with a blinding century on Day 1 of the one-off Check
Crawley crosses 3,000 Check runs together with his fifth ton
Crawley’s 145-ball hundred was not only a milestone on this explicit innings but additionally a landmark in his burgeoning Check profession. Getting into this match with 2,899 runs to his identify, Crawley introduced up the three,000-run mark in emphatic model together with his one hundred and first run. It marked his fifth century in Check cricket, to go together with 16 half-centuries, underlining his significance as a mainstay in England’s batting order. Enjoying in his 54th Check match, Crawley achieved the milestone in his 98th innings, demonstrating regular progress in a format that calls for resilience and adaptableness.
Crawley’s newest century added one other feather to his cap as he crossed the 1,500-run mark in dwelling Assessments. In 24 matches and 41 innings performed in England, Crawley now boasts over 1,500 runs at a mean exceeding 39, a testomony to his constant run-scoring on acquainted surfaces. This was his third Check century on English soil, supplementing his seven dwelling fifties. The consolation with which he performed on Day 1 spoke volumes of his understanding of dwelling circumstances, particularly on flatter tracks just like the one in Nottingham.
Right here’s how netizens reacted:
They’ll by no means make me hate Zak Crawley
— jimbo (@jimb0_12) Could 22, 2025
Zak Crawley’s first Check century of the Summer season 💯🕷️ pic.twitter.com/pcGoAo1c1N
— Kent Cricket (@KentCricket) Could 22, 2025
What a stunning day it’s to observe an enormous Zak Crawley 100 😎
— Jimmy H (@Jimmyyy_____) Could 22, 2025
Actually loved Crawley up to now at this time.
Change in his stance and approach may assist him turn out to be a bit extra constant forward of the following 10 Assessments England play.
— Rivaan Athwal (@rivaanathwal31) Could 22, 2025
Crawley’s highest first innings rating this summer time was a 5 or 6. Most county groups had dismissed him early. Is that this Zimbabwe bowling assault worse than a county assault? Or did the flat wicket assist him?
Regardless of the purpose he has clearly sealed his place for remainder of the summer time.
— Cricketologist (@AMP86793444) Could 22, 2025
ZACK CRAWLEY 💯
— Wike (@WikeCricket) Could 22, 2025
Crawley departs for 124…
An excellent knock from Zak! ✊#ENGvZIM pic.twitter.com/RO3Mt6nSEg
— England’s Barmy Military 🏴🎺 (@TheBarmyArmy) Could 22, 2025
Powerful for Zimbabwe at this time on what seems an excellent observe to bat on.
They made a nasty name on the toss and have since set about making Zak Crawley a fixture within the facet till 2026.#ENGvZIM
— James Buttler | Cricket Badger Podcast 🏏🦡🇺🇦 (@cricket_badger) Could 22, 2025
5️⃣th Check Hundred for Zak Crawley 👏🏏#Cricket #ENGvZIM #Zakcrawley #EnglandCricket pic.twitter.com/gWfpHRpNd9
— CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) Could 22, 2025
Crawley all the time will get runs when he wants them probably the most. I would go away his partnership with Duckett alone. It’s been a very long time since we’ve had a stable opening partnership.
In all probability not since Prepare dinner and Strauss.#ENGvZIM
— James (@James_Hall92) Could 22, 2025
Additionally READ: ENG vs ZIM 2025: 4-day Check match guidelines, Trent Bridge Pitch Report and Nottingham Climate Forecast