Zak Crawley hopes his maiden Test hundred will provide the perfect platform for his international career.

The Kent batsman scored 267 for England during the third Test with Pakistan at Southampton this week.

It’s won him plenty of plaudits from around the world, and Crawley is sure he can take plenty from it.

“I’m sure it will give me a lot of confidence going forward,” said Crawley.

“It hasn’t fully sunk in yet so I’ll have to reflect on it and find out what I did well and try and replicate it.

“I’m sure I can take a lot from it and hopefully I can build on it.”

Crawley’s knock is the 10th highest Test score by an English cricketer, a top 10 that includes Len Hutton, Wally Hammond, Graham Gooch and Denis Compton.

Only Sir Alastair Cook – 294 against India in 2011 – has a bigger score than Crawley in England colours since the turn of the century.

“It’s a great honour,” added Crawley. “I don’t see myself in the same category as the people on that list.

“I felt in good touch. It was a nice ball to get first up to settle the nerves. I got off to a quick start and thankfully when I got in I managed to cash in and get a big score.”

Crawley was left out of England’s side earlier this summer as they opted to play an extra bowler but he’s taken his chance after Ben Stokes missed the end this series.

“It was a real shame to get dropped but it was the right decision,” said Crawley.

“(It meant) I could work in the nets doing stuff to prepare for these bowlers and it worked out in the end.

“It’s quite rare to score a hundred so I thought I had to make the most of it on a very good wicket and one that was hard to take wickets on, so once I got a hundred I definitely wanted more.”

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