Michael Vaughan said watching Zak Crawley’s bat became a source of frustration and pointed to the England opener’s lapses in concentration which led to repeated fake-shot dismissals. On Day 1 of the fifth Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground, Crawley hit three fours before being dismissed for 16 by Michael Neser.
The 27-year-old made a technical adjustment for the final Test, moving his guard over the stumps but was trapped lbw after playing through a straight delivery from Neser. Vaughan added that an opening batter of Crawley’s quality should not get out in such a manner, especially in a New Year’s Test.
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“Zak Crawley is frustrating the life out of me. His concentration isn’t the strongest. If you look at the start of the series where he was playing big booming drives, those drives have gone now. He’s not chasing the ball outside the off-stump,” Vaughan said on the Test Match Special podcast.
“But I watched him today, and that shouldn’t put you out there as a quality hitter,” Vaughan said.
MUCH MORE IN THE TANK
In a Test career spanning just over six years, Crawley averages 31.44. Vaughan, who led England to their famous Ashes triumph in 2005, said the opener still has a lot to offer and England should continue to support him.
“I’ve heard fans around the world saying Crawley averages 30, but there’s more average in him than he’s giving at the moment. It’s just concentration. I know he’s got a lot more in the tank and I think England have to stick with him,” Vaughan added.
Prior to the Sydney Test, Crawley was England’s leading run-scorer in the ongoing Ashes. However, fifties from Joe Root and Harry Brook moved him into third place on day one at the SCG. Brook scored 272 runs at an average of 30.22 in nine innings in five matches, including two half-centuries, with a top score of 85.
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Issued by:
sabyasachi chowdhury
Published on:
January 4, 2026
