HOW ENGLAND RATED AGAINST NEW ZEALAND
ZAK CRAWLEY: On paper, the Kent man is the perfect opener for England’s new era of attacking cricket. But he has looked horribly out of place at the top of the order, averaging just 14.50 and inviting questions over his future. 3/10 ALEX LEES: Looked a different player to the nervy, shot-shy debutant who appeared in the West Indies. He set the tone for a brilliant run-chase at Trent Bridge with a fluent 67. 6.5 OLLIE POPE: Surprisingly promoted to number three after some indifferent form further down, the Surrey man overcame a slow start at Lord’s to made a fine century in the second Test. He signed off with a flowing 82 and can now settle into the role. 8 JOE ROOT: Dispelled any doubts about how he might perform after relinquishing the captaincy with an outstanding series. He averaged a Bradman-esque 99, scored two hundreds, passed 10,000 Test runs and returned to number one in the world rankings. 9.5 JONNY BAIRSTOW: Has ascended to an entirely new plane of batting craft and, very probably, redefined his Test career in the space of three matches. His back-toback centuries in the first two Tests were outright classics and he finished off in
a blaze of glory. 10 BEN STOKES: It is impossible to quantify his impact as captain, picking up a side at a low ebb after one win in 17 matches and turning them into swaggering victors. He is an instinctive, inspirational leader who has brought belief to the team and shows how he wants things to be done with the bat. 8 BEN FOAKES: Hailed as ‘ the best wicketkeeper in the world’ by Stokes, his first home series was broadly successful until he came down with Covid-19. A wobbling Dukes ball made life tricky at times behind the stumps but he batted resourcefully.
MATTHEW POTTS: Handed his first Test opportunity due to a raft of injuries in the pace ranks, the 23-year-old was a revelation. He was England’s top wicket-taker of the series with 14 at 23.28 and he looks to the manor born. 8.5 STUART BROAD: Feared for his career after being axed for the West Indies, the veteran seamer looked visibly thrilled to be back. He played cheerleader with the crowds and took 12 of the 13 wickets he needed to reach 550 in Test cricket. 7 JACK LEACH: When his first home Test in three years ended with a concussion after less than an hour in the field, the spinner’s bad luck appeared to be back. But England kept the faith and he signed off with a first ever 10-wicket match at Headingley. 7 JAMES ANDERSON: Missed the series finale with an ankle injury, but still pocketed 11 wickets at 18.63. At 40 years of age he is still the market leader with a new ball in hand. 7 JAMIE OVERTON: Brought in at Headingley to bring 90mph pace to the attack, but instead did his best work with the bat as he scored a debut knock of 97. Purely as a bowler, looks to be ahead of his more experienced twin brother Craig.