Thrilling Crawley Century Sparks Hope for England to Even the Ashes

A sensational 189 runs from Zak Crawley, the highest score by an Englishman in a home Ashes clash in 26 years, propelled the hosts to a commanding total of 384-4 on day two of the fourth test, surpassing Australia's first innings score by 67 runs.

With rain expected over the weekend, England is racing against time to secure the win they need to level the series. They exhibited an aggressive and fiery display of shotmaking that overwhelmed a stunned Australian side.

After dismissing Australia for 317 at the start of the day, Crawley, supported by Moeen Ali (54) and Joe Root (84), became the leading run-scorer in the series with his impressive innings.

In an uncommon display of aggressive batting in Test cricket, England scored at a rate of 5.33 runs per over, making it the fourth-fastest innings of five or more overs against Australia in the history of the game.

Crawley, who had only hit one six in the series before Thursday, added three more sixes to his tally, along with 21 fours, scoring at a rapid pace throughout, swinging the momentum back in England's favor.

England's hero from the last test, Harry Brook, and captain Ben Stokes continued to pile on the runs, extending the lead and aiming for a quick-fire success on Friday.

"Every Ashes knock is important, but I was very pleased with how I played, how it went, and the position we're in at the moment in the series, fighting back nicely," Crawley said.

"I had some fortunate moments, but I also played some great shots along the way. I probably wouldn't be playing in this series under any other coach or captain, so being backed by them gives me a lot of confidence. We are just trying to control what we can control. We have shown that being positive suits our players."

BLISTERING BAZBALL:

England's aggressive 'Bazball' approach garnered attention, with mixed results in this series. However, it paid off at Old Trafford, giving the hosts a chance to keep their Ashes dream alive.

Starting the day with Australia at 299-8, veteran Jimmy Anderson, bowling from the end named after him at Old Trafford, dismissed Pat Cummins with the very first ball.

Chris Woakes completed his five-wicket haul by removing Josh Hazlewood to finish off the Australian innings. But England's reply got off to a bad start as opener Ben Duckett fell for just one before lunch.

Crawley then led the counter-attack, helping England amass 178 runs in 25 overs during the afternoon session, reaching the fourth fastest hundred from an Englishman against Australia in Test history off 93 balls.

Moeen crossed the milestone of 3000 test runs on his way to a half-century, while Root's 59th test fifty came in no time. The 206-run third-wicket partnership with Crawley was finally broken when Hazlewood bowled Root with a low delivery.

Stokes and Brook adopted a more cautious approach to guide England to stumps, leaving a dejected Australia with very little reward after toiling all afternoon.

A draw or a win for Australia in Manchester will ensure they retain the Ashes. On the other hand, a victory for England will level the series and set up an exhilarating decider at the Oval in London next week.

Thanks to Crawley's big-hitting heroics and an extraordinary run rate, the latter is now a genuine possibility, even if the rain intervenes.