England opener Zak Crawley backs his side to beat Australia by 150 runs at Lord's, saying pitch will suit hosts more than Edgbaston did; Crawley expects more verbal "niggles" as series progresses - watch Lord's Ashes Test live on Sky Sports Cricket from Wednesday
Friday 23 June 2023 19:04, UK
England opener Zak Crawley has made a bold prediction for the second Ashes Test at Lord's - saying his side will beat Australia by 150 runs.
Australia won an Edgbaston classic on Tuesday evening, edging England by two wickets on a dry surface as captain Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon shared an unbroken stand of 55.
The series resumes in London on Wednesday, with build-up beginning on Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Main Event at 10am ahead of the first ball an hour later.
Speaking to Times Radio, Crawley predicted a big win for his team and said their defeat in Birmingham was easier to take due to the entertaining style with which they played.
The Kent player, who smashed the first ball of the Edgbaston Test for four, said: "I think we'll win [at Lord's]. I think the pitch will suit us a bit more so I think we'll win by, I don't know, 150 runs?
"We're not about results. We're not about winning or losing, we're about entertainment. That's why we took [this loss] better than other losses perhaps, because it was great for the game.
"Of course we're there to win and it helps our brand and what we're trying to do. If we win, we get more traction. But I don't think we've lost anything this week other than a game of cricket."
Ollie Robinson gave Australia opener Usman Khawaja a foul-mouthed send-off after bowling him for 141 in the first innings at Edgbaston, with former Baggy Greens batter Matthew Hayden since calling the England seamer a "forgettable cricketer".
Crawley expects the verbals to continue.
The England man added: "The Edgbaston crowd was so loud, to be honest with you, that you genuinely couldn't hear anything they were saying. At Lord's, with a little bit more of a quiet hum, you might hear a bit more.
"In general, they're good fellas, we're good fellas. I think as the series goes on there's going to be a few incidents, maybe, that will cause a bit of niggle and it'll get more and more.
"Everyone's extremely competitive on an individual level and obviously on the team level. I'm sure by the fifth match, there'll be some niggle."
Watch the second men's Ashes Test, from Lord's, live on Sky Sports Cricket from Wednesday. Build-up begins at 10am ahead of the toss at 10.30am and then an 11am start.
