England’s Zak Crawley focused on match-winning performances: ‘My batting average doesn’t bother me’

Zak Crawley focused on winning games for England, not his batting average, as home side look to wrap up series victory over West Indies, live on Sky Sports Cricket from Thursday; England won first Test by innings and 114 runs in a little over two days at Lord’s

Zak Crawley says he does not care about his batting average and is focused on winning matches for England as his side look to wrap up a series victory over West Indies at Trent Bridge.

England trounced their opponents by an innings and 114 runs in a little over two days of the first Test at Lord’s to ensure their all-time record wicket-taker James Anderson retired on a high.

Crawley made 76 for the hosts but has now failed to turn a half-century into a hundred on the previous six occasions he has reached fifty, leaving his average at 33.17 after 45 Tests.

“The average certainly doesn’t bother me. I don’t get caught up in things like that, otherwise I’ll get pretty down on myself a lot of the time,” said the opener ahead of the Nottingham Test, which is live on Sky Sports Cricket from Thursday (11am first ball).

“I’d like to win more games for England. That’s kind of what I judge myself on. Hopefully I start getting bigger scores.

“I probably haven’t won that many games. I’ve played some really good knocks but my main goal going forward is how many match-winning performances can I get for my team.

“I’ve certainly never looked at my average and gone, ‘oh, I hope I can get one higher’ or things like that. [Opening] is a tough place to bat.

“I’m going to continue to be aggressive. I think we all are. I think that’s why we’ve been backed, especially me, over a period of time

“Maybe at times in India [during a 4-1 series defeat over the winter] we didn’t quite read the game as well as we could have and you get punished against a team like India.

“At times you’ve got to read the game and rein it in, but naturally it’s going to be quite aggressive.

“I’m not a huge fan of the term ‘ruthless’ when I’m batting. I feel like the harder you try, the worse it gets. A lot of those times when you get out is because you’re trying too hard to get a score.

“I think you’ve just got to relax and let it flow and that’s when the really big scores come.”

‘West Indies have players who can take the game away from us’

Crawley also said England would not be taking West Indies lightly in the second Test of the three-match series, despite their resounding victory at Lord’s last week.

Kraigg Brathwaite’s tourists suffered a 10-wicket defeat to Australia at Adelaide in January before bouncing back to win the second Test in Brisbane and earn a 1-1 draw.

The Kent player added: “We don’t take anyone for granted. They’ve got some really, really good players who are very capable of taking the game away from us.

“We’ve got to be sharp and perform like we did at Lord’s. It was a really good performance and we want to back that up.”

On being part of Anderson’s farewell, with the 41-year-old retiring from international duty after 188 Tests and a record 704 wickets for a fast bowler in the format, Crawley said: “It was an awesome moment to be in the changing room. I’ll always remember that.

“It was just an honour to play with him and to see those celebrations at the end. Everyone was so happy for him that he could go out like that with all the people there.”

West Indies wicketkeeper-batter Joshua Da Silva became Anderson’s final Test wicket, edging a superb delivery behind to the debuting Jamie Smith, and said: “What a legend he is. I’m happy I don’t to have to see him again!

“I tried my hardest not to be one of those wickets but unfortunately I got a good Jimmy seed. It’s nice to see the back of him. What he’s done in Test cricket is phenomenal.”

Watch day one of the second Test between England and West Indies, from Trent Bridge in Nottingham, live on Sky Sports Cricket from 10am on Thursday (first ball to be bowled at 11am).

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