Zak Crawley has been dropped from the Sunrisers Eastern Cape team ahead of their crunch match against MI Cape Town in the SA20, with his struggles in Test whites extending onto the franchise circuit
The England opener has managed only 88 runs in his eight matches so far this season, and has reached double digits just once in the past six. SEC entered the match knowing a bonus-point win would guarantee a place in the playoffs and brought in Tony de Zorzi in place of Crawley, with Craig Overton coming in as their fourth overseas player.
Crawley’s axing comes at a time of increasing pressure over his place in England’s Test setup after a string of poor performances in the back end of 2024. He has gone five matches without a half-century since scoring 78 in Multan on a flat pitch where England racked up 823-7, with Joe Root and Harry Brook combining for a record-breaking 454-run partnership.
It is over 18 months since his last hundred, when he produced an excellent counterattacking display on his way to 189 in the rain-curtailed fourth Ashes Test. His lack of runs has dragged his overall average down to just 30.51, and with diminishing returns, a pivotal Ashes series on the horizon at the end of the year, and the emergence of Jacob Bethell as a top-order contender, Brendon McCullum could be faced with a difficult decision. McCullum has just one Test at home to Zimbabwe before he needs to figure out his ideal opening partnership for the home series against India and the trip down under.
SEC’s decision to drop Crawley did not pay off, as they were skittled for 107 before succumbing to a ten-wicket defeat. The result leaves them with four wins and five defeats from nine games, with their last fixture coming against current table-toppers Paarl Royals.
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