Zak Crawley

Born in Kent. Schooled in Kent. Plays for Kent – and England.

From Bromley, Zak attended The New Beacon School before being awarded a Cowdrey Scholarship to enter Tonbridge School (2011-2016). 

In October 2015 Zak signed a professional contract with Kent, by 2017 he had made his first-class debut.

The National Selectors were quick to notice Zak’s promise as a stylish opening bat. His elevation to England’s Test team followed in 2019. By 2020, Zak formed part of a new generation of players who will take England onto even higher levels of performance.

Kent

Zak’s first ListA appearance for Kent was in May 2017 vs Essex in a Royal London Cup match.

By August, he made his first-class debut vs. the West Indies. Zak made an immediate impact scoring a first innings 62.

Later in the same month, he played his first Specsavers County Championship match vs. Leicestershire.

Zak’s breakthrough came in 2018, helping Kent gain promotion to Division 1 of the County Championship with eye-catching innings.

By September 2018, Zak had scored his maiden first-class and County Championship century vs. Glamorgan. His 257 ball 168 (24 fours, 1 six) was only bettered in August 2020 in the Third Test vs. Pakistan.

In April 2019, Zak passed 1000 runs in County Championship matches.

In his short first-class career Zak has scored 2250 runs, three centuries and fourteen half-centuries

His maiden century in ListA matches came in May 2019 when Zak scored 120 in 123 balls (15 fours) vs. Middlesex in a Royal London Cup game.

Perth Scorchers

For the 2023-24 edition of the BBL, Zak was drafted by Perth Scochers during the Gold Round.

England

Zak was selected for the two Test tour of New Zealand in November 2019. He proudly made his England debut in the Second Test played at Seddon Park, Hamilton.

Following on from the short tour of New Zealand, Zak travelled to South Africa for the 2019-2020 series. He opened the batting for England in the historic second Test win at Newlands, scoring a second innings 25.

In the fourth Test in Johannesburg, Zak’s first innings 66 runs, made him the youngest Kent player to score 50 runs in a Test for England since Colin Cowdrey.

In the COVID restricted 2020 season Zak was selected for both three-match Test series vs. the West Indies and Pakistan.

In his eighth Test match at the Ageas Bowl in August 2020, Zak made a stylish 267 in the Third Test vs. Pakistan. This head-turning double century elevated Zak into the top ten of highest individual innings by an England player. He also became the third-youngest player to score 200 plus runs in a single innings for England (behind Len Hutton and David Gower). With this headline-making innings, Zak repaid the National Selectors who had banked on him delivering on his undoubted promise just a few months previously.

Awards

• 2020 PCA Young Cricketer of the Year.
• 2020 Cricket Writers’ Player of the Year.
• 2021 Wisden name Zak as one of their 5 Cricketers of the Year.

Sponsors

Black Opel Travel Group – Zak has signed with luxury sports holiday specialists Black Opel Travel the company logo will be carried on Zak’s bats.

Gray-Nicolls – Gray-Nicolls provide Zak with his bats.

(Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

(Profile Update: 04/10/23)