Crawley now has just one half-century in his past 13 innings and is averaging 9.40 in the New Zealand series. He was dismissed for 21 during England’s collapse on day two of the third Test against New Zealand which saw them bowled out for 143 as the hosts built a 340-run lead.
In Christchurch, the 26-year-old was removed for a duck and one, both times by Matt Henry, and during the second Test in Wellington, he notched 17 and eight before falling to the New Zealand pacer again.
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“I’m not sure how much selection pressure there is because it seems that England are set on the path that they want to have Crawley and [Ben] Duckett as their opening partnership,” Atherton said on Sky Sports News. “Particularly thinking ahead to the Ashes and the way Crawley has played in Australia and at home in the Ashes last year.
“You can understand that, but he has had a poor tour. He’s got out to Matt Henry five times in five innings.
“He really can’t fathom Henry at all, who is an excellent new ball bowler, nips it about a bit off the seam both ways, and has got Crawley’s number.”
Crawley averaged 53.33 during the 2023 Ashes series – more than team-mate and England great Joe Root – and made a brilliant 189 in Manchester, his last Test century to date.
The Kent batter made 78 in Multan during England’s 2-1 defeat to Pakistan in October but struggled for the remainder of the tour, making combined scores of 30 and 31 in the final two Tests.
England’s performance as a whole in Hamilton was well below their highest standards, but Atherton says they will not use fatigue as an excuse at the end of a busy year.
“It’s been a long-ish year of Test cricket,” Atherton added. “They certainly don’t use that as an excuse. I wouldn’t put that as an excuse on their behalf.
“It’s just impossible to know how much of an end-of-term feeling there is when you’ve won a series and you’re at the end of a long year of cricket.”
Collingwood: We’ve been outperformed
Four of England’s players made scores in single figures, including Harry Brook who was dismissed for a golden duck as New Zealand’s pace attack ripped through the tourists, Will O’Rourke impressing with 3-33 as he removed Jacob Bethell, Root and Brook.
It will now be up to England’s bowlers to limit New Zealand’s lead and keep alive their hopes of a 3-0 whitewash.
“I think we’ve been outperformed here, simple as that,” assistant coach Paul Collingwood said.
“Of course the lads were disappointed, it wasn’t our best day, but one thing I would say is we witnessed something pretty special out there [from O’Rourke], a really hostile spell of Test bowling.
“I’m glad I wasn’t the one out there facing it because you don’t see those kind of spells every day. Sometimes you have to take your hat off, he was a real standout for them. To get three wickets during that spell has really broken us open.
“It’s going to be pretty difficult from this position, but never say never.
“When you’ve got a side full of match-winners like we have, it only takes a couple to do something special. There’ll be belief that we can break a record if that’s what we’ve got to do.”
Speaking about Crawley’s troubling trend this series, Collingwood said: “I think he’s had a struggle with Henry in particular. He’s caused him problems.
“I know myself, it’s awful. You’re not just thinking about it when you’re waiting to go and bat, you’re thinking about it away from the game. But the team will get around Zak and find ways to take his mind off something like that.
“The way he’s playing in the nets, he’s hitting the ball really well, he’s just finding ways of getting out. With Zak, we’re not asking him to be consistent, it’s about match-winning moments.
“We know with Zak that once he gets in he can hurt teams. And I’m telling you, he’s ready to hurt someone.”
England’s Test tour of New Zealand
- First Test (Christchurch): England won by eight wickets
- Second Test (Wellington): England won by 323 runs
- Third Test: December 14-18 (Hamilton)
