Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett got England off to a productive start once again in the first innings against India in Vizag.
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Their opening partnership has been one of the most crucial parts of the side’s successes in the Ben Stokes-Brendon McCullum era, which has drawn to an end the decade of insecurity in establishing a long term pairing at the top of the order. But beyond the stability, they’re starting to establish themselves among the most prolific England opening partnerships from years gone by.
In Vizag today (February 3), they scored 59 runs between them before Duckett was caught at silly point off Kuldeep Yadav. They put on those runs in fewer than 11 overs either side of Lunch, having just managed to see Jasprit Bumrah out of the attack. It was the ninth time the pair shared an opening stand of more than 50 runs and they now average 48.82 together. That puts them seventh on the list of highest partnership averages for England openers with a cut-off of 20 inning. Those above them on that list played in different eras altogether, with Andrew Strauss and Marcus Trescothick the most recent pairing above them.
In comparison to those playing around the world in a similar era, 2019 onwards, Duckett and Crawley are fourth on the averages lists. Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal top the list with a smaller sample size of ten innings but, in comparison to those who’ve opened the batting together 20 or more times, only Dimuth Karunaratne and Lahiru Thirimanne average more (50.80 compared to 48.82). Only one pair from 2019 onwards, David Warner and Usman Khawaja, have passed 50 together more than Duckett and Crawley.
Their most impressive feat, however, has been their role in turning England’s fortunes around overseas. The pair’s stats away from home are almost identical to what they are in England (an average of 49.46 away). Of those who have opened the innings together away from home on more than ten occasions since 2014, only Chris Rogers and David Warner average more (60.78).
It’s impossible to talk about the Crawley-Duckett partnership without mentioning their scoring rate. In Vizag Crawley hit four fours off one Bumrah over to push their rate over five an over by the point Duckett was dismissed. It was still only the fifth-highest run-rate in their partnerships that have exceeded 50 runs.
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No opening partnership since 2019 is even in the same ballpark as their average scoring rate (5.36), with the closest being Jaiswal and Rohit who score their runs on average at four an over together.
Duckett’s introduction as an opener into England’s set-up in Pakistan last year is arguably the most significant selection decision of the Stokes-McCullum era. Since his recall, he averages over 50, with two hundreds and six half centuries from 13 Tests. Those stats, combined with a strike rate of 89.76 are extraordinary. It’s the combination with Crawley, however, that’s catapulted them both to their current status. Before Duckett came in as his partner, Crawley averaged 24.08 as an opener in Test cricket, with a strike rate of 52.59. Since the first innings in Pakistan in 2022, he’s averaged 42.08 in 13 innings with a strike rate 88.64.
Without both of them scoring freely together and feeding off each other at the top, what England have achieved in the last two years would not have been possible.
