Zak Crawley’s attacking century and Moeen Ali’s fifty dominated the second session of Day 2 of the Fourth match of the Ashes series here at Old Trafford Cricket Ground on Thursday with England consolidating their position in the match. Resuming from 61/1, Moeen Ali and Zak Crawley played an attacking game. They quickly added 100 runs to the board in 23 overs. Crawley and Moeen brought up the 100-run partnership after Crawley took a single off Pat Cummins’ first ball in the 24th over. Crawley reached to fifty-run mark by hitting a six to Head’s bowling. Moeen brought his half-century in the 25th over. Moeen Ali was dismissed by Mitchell Starc at 54 as he was caught at the midwicket. Crawley continued his attacking game hitting regular boundaries. He clinched his century with a four in Starc bowling. England reached to 200-run mark in 36 overs. England made rapid strides towards Australia’s total of 317 in a rollicking session of uninhibited strokeplay that saw a whopping 178 runs scored off just 25 overs. Runs bled left, right and center as the Aussie bowlers had no answer to the onslaught that was led by a superlative ton from Zak Crawley. The opener, who looked shaky in the first session, batted with gay abandon after lunch, gaining confidence with every passing delivery to put the Australian bowlers to the sword. Along with Crawley, Moeen Ali also settled in with a valuable fifty of his own and the left-hander also looked quite assured in the second session before he perished in pursuit of being overtly aggressive. Moeen did survive a chance off Josh Hazlewood when Pat Cummins put him down at mid-wicket but the luck didn’t last long.
