Kent batsman Zak Crawley expects England to continue building as a team - despite their Ashes disappointment.

Their hopes of an Ashes comeback were heartbreakingly ended by weekend rain at Old Trafford, which left the fourth Test as a draw and ensured Australia retain the urn.

It meant England didn’t get a chance to push for the final five wickets they needed to force a win. The tourists remained on 214-5 in their second innings, 61 runs behind the home side, with player-of-the-match Crawley’s century having helped Ben Stokes’ side post a massive first-innings 592.

Crawley said: “It’s pretty flat up there [in England’s dressing room].

“Obviously we were in a good position to win this game and, unfortunately, the weather has cost us a bit. We’re disappointed but we know we have played a lot of good cricket.

“We go onto the next one and keep building as a side, which we’re doing well.”

He went for a majestic 189, which included three maximums and 21 fours, from 182 balls when he chopped a delivery from Cameron Green back onto his stumps after reaching his fourth Test ton - and his first Ashes one.

When asked by former England skipper Michael Atherton at the end-of-game presentation if it was his best knock for his country, the 25-year-old replied to Sky Sports: “I’d say so.

“Considering the importance of the match, it has to be my favourite one. I was very pleased with how I played.

“I rode my luck at times but played really nicely so, yeah, I was happy.”

Overall, the former Tonbridge School pupil is the leading run-scorer in this Ashes series with 385 runs in seven innings and four matches at an average of 55.

He added: “I’ve felt in good touch all series, to be honest.

“I hadn’t quite had that score yet, so I had to keep sticking with the process and I felt like there was a score coming. Thankfully, it came in this game.”

The final Test of the series at The Oval begins this Thursday, with Australia 2-1 ahead. But the hosts can still level the series as Australia haven’t won on an Ashes tour of England since 2001.

“Every game is massively important for us at the moment,” Crawley noted. “We’re going well as a side.

“We’ve just got to keep building.

“Next game, absolutely, it’ll be nice to get it back to 2-2.”