England continued to tighten the grip on Pakistan in the third and final Test in Southampton with Zak Crawley becoming the third youngest Englishman to hit a double century on Day 2 Saturday. (More Cricket News)
With intermittent rain playing its part, the 22-year-old reached the mark with a streaky four, behind the cordon off the Naseem Shah delivery on the 113th over. The right batsman took 332 deliveries.
Now, exactly at 22 years and 201 days, Crawley is the youngest to make a double for England since David Gower in 1979, in more than four decades.
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The record still belongs to legendary Len Hutton, who achieved the feat with his 364 against Australia at The Oval in 1938. Then, he was 22 years and 60 days old.
Gower was 22 years and 103 days old when he hit an unbeaten 200 against India at Edgbaston in 1979.
Crawley took just 12 innings to score his first double ton, which is fourth fastest for England after - Tip Forster (1), David Lloyd (2), Hutton (9).
At the time of filing the report, Crawly and Jos Buttler, on 122, have added 274 runs for the fifth wicket with England reaching 401/4 in 116 overs. It's now the highest fifth-wicket stand for England, overtaking the 254-run partnership shared by Keith Fletcher and Tony Greig against India in 1973.
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England won the series opener in Manchester and bad weather forced a draw at Southampton.
England, which started Day 2 on 332/4, are looking to clinch a first series victory over Pakistan in 10 years, as well as a second of the summer after beating the West Indies 2-1.
