The idea of a winter in the sun could not have been further from his thoughts, he insisted. ``I know the selectors have a job to do in the coming days but it wasn't really in my mind,'' he declared. ``You don't think further than the next ball.''

Was it a case of a head-to-head contest with fellow centurion Graeme Hick for the last tour batting place? ``It could be ironic,'' said a deadpan Crawley. ``It depends how you look at it.''

The most the Lancashire batsman would concede was that ``I don't think I would have got a chance here if everyone had been fit''.

That was his good luck, just as was the catch Muttiah Muralitharan took off his own bowling - called a no-ball - before Crawley had scored.

Equally, Crawley recognised that he was fortunate to get a Test place after England had won the South African series.

As for Muralitharan's seven wickets on a good batting pitch, Crawley's view was that ``he could turn it on anything.''

England opener Steve James dashed back home to Wales on Thursday night - and was presented with the birth of his first child.

Wife Jane gave birth to a 7lb 6oz girl, Bethan, just before 5am yesterday. James, 30, was given permission to return to Cardiff by train and arrived back at Paddington station 30 minutes before the start of the second day.