Zak Crawley endured a forgettable outing in the first Ashes Test at Perth’s Optus Stadium, becoming only the fourth English opener in history to register a pair of ducks in an Ashes match. The England opener fell to Mitchell Starc in both innings, with the Australian left-arm pace spearhead striking early once again on Day 2.
England began their second innings with a 40-run lead, hoping for a solid start. But Crawley’s stay was short-lived. Starc produced another sharp delivery, and this time completed the dismissal with a superb one-handed catch off his own bowling. In the first innings, Crawley had edged Starc to Usman Khawaja in the slips.
With this, Crawley joins a small but unwanted group of English openers to bag a pair of ducks in an Ashes Test:
Trevor Bailey (1959), Dennis Amiss (1975), and Michael Atherton (1998).
A Rare Test Match Pattern Emerges
Crawley’s dismissal also added another unusual statistic to the contest. This Test became the first in history where a wicket fell before a run was scored in each of the first three innings. Jake Weatherald (0), Crawley (0), and Crawley again (0) all fell with their teams yet to open the score.
Despite the two ducks, Crawley’s overall form this year has been steady. He has scored 414 runs in 12 innings, averaging 34.50 with a strike rate above 63, including a century, three fifties, and a best of 124.
How Day 2 Began: Australia Fold for 132
Australia resumed at 123/9 with Brendan Doggett and Nathan Lyon at the crease. While they attempted to reduce the deficit, a sharp catch from Ben Duckett at gully ended the innings at 132 in 45.2 overs, giving England a 40-run advantage.
Ben Stokes led the attack with figures of 5/23, removing Travis Head and Cameron Green when they threatened to rebuild. England’s pace trio of Brydon Carse (3/45) and Jofra Archer (2/11) delivered hostile spells that had Australia reeling at 31/4, removing Weatherald, Labuschagne, Smith, and Khawaja early.
England’s Second Innings: Early Shock, Steady Recovery
Chasing a bigger lead, England needed their openers to capitalise. Instead, Crawley’s second duck left them at 0/1 in 0.5 overs.
Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope steadied the innings, showing positive intent and rotating strike efficiently. Duckett struck boundaries off Starc and Boland, while Pope collected multiple threes due to the slow outfield. The pair brought up their 50-run stand in 10.1 overs and guided England to the break without further damage, despite Duckett surviving a late LBW scare.
Day 1 Highlights: England’s Ups and Downs
On Day 1, England opted to bat first. Ben Duckett’s quick 21 provided early momentum, but England slipped to 39/3, with Joe Root falling for a duck to Starc. Pope (46) and Harry Brook (52) revived the innings briefly before wickets tumbled again. Jamie Smith (33 off 22) counter-attacked, but inconsistent shot selection and Starc’s brilliance—finishing with 7/58—ensured England were bowled out for 172 in 32.5 overs.
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