On This Day: Crawley Makes 272 On Debut

Hampshire Cricket's historian Dave Allen takes a look back on timely memorable moments in his ‘On This Day’ series.

John Crawley (272) v Kent, County Championship – 22^nd April 2002

2002’s Championship season opened at Canterbury with Kent batting, which they proceeded to do until halfway through day two, amassing a total of 577. Key (160) and Fulton (98) had opened with a partnership of 266, and only Chris Tremlett (4-129) had even remotely respectable figures. So far, so bad.

Then it was Hampshire's turn, and before the close they had lost openers Kenway and Kendall, but Crawley in his first match since moving from Lancashire, and captain Robin Smith took them to 136 by the close. On the third day, Smith went at 178 but then Neil Johnson (117) and Crawley shared a partnership of 232, and although Johnson went at 410, fellow-debutant Nic Pothas (playing as a batsman) joined Crawley as the follow-on was saved. Hampshire closed on 490-4 with Crawley, 223*, now the fourth man to have scored a debut hundred for the county.

On the final day (22^nd April) he went on to 272 and was only dismissed, run out, when a drive from Udal was deflected. By that time he had passed Hampshire's highest post-war score (Greenidge 259) and recorded Hampshire's highest maiden innings, which lasted 574 minutes and 451 balls. Hampshire were bowled out for 671 (minus the injured Adi Aymes) which at the time was just one short of their all-time record, set at Taunton 103 years before.

The extraordinary thing though, is that Crawley twice beat his own record with triple centuries over the next three years, and when he scored 311* v Notts at the Rose Bowl in 2005 his team passed 700 for the first and so-far only time (714-5 declared).