Zak Crawley lives up to Viv Richards’ praise to wrest control from West Indies

On the eve of the first Test, at the ground that carries his name, the great Sir Vivian Richards was asked about the absence of Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad but instead decided to largely ignore the question and deliver a hymn of praise for Zak Crawley.

“A magnificent player,” purred Richards, urging England to give the 24-year-old time to flourish; to accept that, as a tall right-hander with an array of attacking shots at the top of the order, the first phase of his Test career may be hit and miss.

The talents that caught the eye of Richards were in evidence on the fourth day, Crawley strumming his second century for England that, along with 84 not out for Joe Root, gave England control of the match heading into the final day.

The tourists closed on 217 for one from 63.2 overs when rain lashed down at 5pm local time, having given themselves a sniff of victory through a lead of 153, even if the draw is clearly the heavy favourite on this moribund pitch.

Trickier surfaces lie ahead but Crawley’s elegant unbeaten 117 from 200 balls should do plenty for his confidence, having gone 21 innings without a three-figure score since his 267 against Pakistan in 2020. The smile upon reaching the milestone here, nudging Jayden Seales into the leg-side for two precious runs after tea and delighting the visiting supporters with it, suggested as much.

“It means an awful lot,” Crawley said afterwards. “It’s been a while since my last one and there were times last year when I didn’t think I’d get another. We are going to try and win the Test match. It’s something we’ll discuss but I think we’ll want a minimum of 65-70 overs at them.”

An unbroken second-wicket stand of 193 from 52.1 overs between Crawley and his captain also