England shatter 111-year record for most runs on first day of Test as FOUR players hit centuries on return to Pakistan

ENGLAND went on an incredible batting spree on day one of the First Test with FOUR batsmen scoring centuries.

Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope and Harry Brook all reached three figures and it was the first time in Test history that four batsmen have scored hundreds on the opening day of a Test.

GettyHarry Brook hit the third-quickest century in English history in his second Test[/caption]

GettyZak Crawley hit the fastest ton ever for an England opening batsman[/caption]

GettyBen Duckett marked his return to the side after six years with a century[/caption]

AFPOllie Pope also hit a hundred on a historic day for England[/caption]

It was the first time four England players have hit hundreds since a 2007 Test against West Indies, and for Duckett and Brook they were maiden international centuries.

It meant an almost unbelievable start to England’s first day of Test cricket in the country for 17 years.

England finished the opening day with 506-4 from 75 overs – a scoring rate of 6.74 runs per over, becoming the fastest team ever to reach 500.

Brendon McCullum’s side also attacked 64 per cent of the balls they faced today – the highest attacking shot percentage in a Test innings since records begun in 2006, and an equivalent rate to what England have managed in T20.

It was the most runs England have ever scored in a single day of Test cricket and the first time any country has scored more than 500 runs on the opening day.

And play finished 15 overs early because of bad light!

After their brilliant summer at home – when they won six Tests out of seven – England took ‘Bazball’ to even more remarkable heights on their first day overseas since Ben Stokes and McCullum took charge.

England won the Twenty20 World Cup last month and the power, aggression and invention of their batting would not have looked out of place in the shortest international format.

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Sure, the pitch in Rawalpindi was pancake flat and Pakistan’s attack worryingly impotent, but the rate at which England scored was nothing short of sensational.

It was fair to say England’s players had recovered from the virus which swept through the camp the day before play got underway.

Indeed, it was confirmed the match would begin on time just two-and-a-half hours before the start.

Only wicketkeeper Ben Foakes was still feeling too unwell to play – so Pope was installed as emergency wicketkeeper with Surrey’s Will Jacks joining Lancashire’s Liam Livingstone as a Test debutant.

England broke a string of fast-scoring records.

Crawley took 14 runs from Naseem Shah in the first over of the match and reached his century from 86 balls – beating Graham Gooch’s England record of 95 balls for an opening batsman.

Duckett, playing his first Test for six years, helped Crawley compile England’s fastest century opening stand of all time 13.5 overs, beating the 17.2 overs taken by Crawley and Alex Lees against South Africa at the Oval in their previous game.

England were 141-0 after 20 overs, four more than Pakistan managed when batting first and making 137-8 in the T20 World Cup final.

Crawley and Duckett rampaged England to 174-0 at lunch – their highest lunch total on day one of a Test match, beating their 169-0 against Australia at Trent Bridge in 1938.

Pakistan did not manage a maiden until the 39th over and bowled only three all day.

Brook struck six fours in a single over from left-arm spinner Saud Shakeel on his way to a century in his second Test from 80 balls, England’s third-fastest of all time.

Oh, the wickets? Duckett was out lbw on review attempting a reverse sweep and then Crawley, given out lbw on 99 but saved by DRS, which showed the ball missing leg stump, was bowled by a ball that swung in a fraction.

Joe Root was the only batsman to miss out on the runs bonanza, lbw for 23 when he missed a sweep shot.

Pope was also lbw following a review and departed for 108 at better than a run-a-ball. Stokes came in shortly before the close and contributed 34 not out from 15 balls.