Ben Stokes, the captain of England, displayed deep dismay when Zak Crawley fell victim to an unlucky dismissal during the ongoing second Test against the West Indies at Trent Bridge, Nottingham. The match marks the penultimate encounter of the series, with England showing a strong start in their second innings. After dismissing the West Indies for 457 runs, England’s openers, Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley, seemed poised for a promising start on a favorable batting surface.
However, their hopes were dashed when Zak Crawley fell victim to an unfortunate run-out. The opening batsman was dismissed in just the second over of England’s innings, courtesy of a direct hit from the West Indies fielders. Crawley, despite not being at fault, was forced to depart early after scoring a mere 3 runs from 3 balls.
The incident occurred on the fourth delivery of the second over bowled by Jayden Seales, who sent a full delivery angling towards the off stump. Ben Duckett, facing the ball, executed a straight drive that unfortunately ricocheted off the non-striker’s stumps towards mid-off, catching Crawley short of his crease.
The West Indies team made a restrained appeal for the run-out, and after careful scrutiny of multiple replays by the third umpire, it was confirmed that Jayden Seales had made contact with the ball just before it hit the stumps. This left Zak Crawley with no chance of making his ground, compelling him to make the disappointing walk back to the pavilion.England skipper Ben Stokes, who was sitting in the dressing room, wasn’t impressed with the way Zak Crawley got out. He shook his head in disbelief as England lost their first wicket in the second innings for just 8 runs and inside the second over.
Here’s the video:
Zak Crawley didn’t have the kind of outing he would’ve wanted in the Test. The opening batter bagged a duck in the first innings. He would’ve been keen to make an impact in the second innings but it wasn’t meant to be as he got out early, managing just three runs in the game across both the innings.Â
Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope slam second consecutive half-centuries in the Test cricketÂ
Following Zak Crawley’s dismissal, Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope seized control of the match against the West Indies. Displaying remarkable batting prowess, the pair adopted an aggressive approach that kept the opposition bowlers on the back foot.
Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope, who had already impressed in the first innings, carried forward their excellent form into the current game. They forged their second consecutive century partnership, contributing significantly to England’s lead in the second innings. Both batsmen have notched up half-centuries and appear well poised to convert their starts into substantial scores.
100+ stand in both inns by same ENG pair since 2000
A Cook & M Vaughan vs SL, Colombo, 2007
A Cook & Joe Root vs PAK, Manchester, 2016
B Duckett & Ollie Pope vs WI, Nottingham, 2024
