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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Matthew Cooper

Zak Crawley branded "consistently inconsistent" after falling into "trap" vs West Indies

Former England captain Michael Vaughan has labelled opener Zak Crawley "consistently inconsistent" following his dismissal in the third Test against the West Indies.

Crawley fell for just seven in Grenada, chipping a simple catch to Kraigg Brathwaite at short extra cover off the medium pace bowling of Kyle Mayers. And Vaughan was critical of the 24-year-old's decision to play a "big booming drive" on a pitch which offered some assistance to the West Indies' seamers.

Speaking on BT Sport , Vaughan claimed Crawley had been caught in a "trap" set by the West Indies. "Zak Crawley is going to be consistently inconsistent if he bats like that and plays the big drive," he said.

"He played a nice drive down the ground, but once again he's got out playing the big booming drive. The trap was set and Crawley has been caught in the trap."

Former England bowler Jonathan Agnew also said Crawley's dismissal was simply the result of "batsman's error". He told the BBC : "Crawley faced 36 balls for his seven runs, which is not how he generally plays.

"It was a wide half-volley that he drove to extra cover. There wasn't much special about the ball - it was just batsman's error."

The Kent star has had a mixed tour so far, having scored a century in Antigua but also got out for three single-figure scores in his five innings. Nasser Hussain also highlighted an "obvious flaw" in Crawley's technique which he feels leaves him "vulnerable".

In his column for the Daily Mail earlier this month, Hussain wrote: "There's so much to like about Zak Crawley's batting. He has a fantastic tempo, which is what England have been looking for from an opener since the days of Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook, and he doesn't just hit the bad ball — he puts it away with relish.

"The problem he has faced is an obvious flaw in his technique. Because of his strong bottom hand and the way his bat comes down from about fourth slip towards mid-on, he drives with a closed face, which can make him vulnerable when the ball is doing a bit off the seam — as it usually does in England."

Can you help underprivileged children experience the joy of cricket? Charity Bat for a Chance donates cricket kit to those most in need and is also fundraising. Find out more here

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