NASSER HUSSAIN’S ODI SERIES RATINGS
JONNY BAIRSTOW 9 A quiet start but finished with two brilliant hundreds. Whereas Jason Roy and Alex Hales can be feast or famine Jonny will back up a score. Some of his fielding in the deep was superb, particularly that catch in Christchurch.
JASON ROY 6.5 Will be disappointed he didn’t convert his two starts into a big score. But batted sensibly on difficult pitches in Hamilton and Wellington to try to work out what a good score was. Showed he’s not a one-trick pony.
JOE ROOT 8.5 Looked like he had never been away when he returned in Hamilton after his mini-break and then got the monkey off his back of 12 half centuries without a hundred with a score of 102 in Dunedin. High-class player who provides the glue at three.
EOIN MORGAN 7 Captaincy largely excellent but a couple of times he
sat back while New Zealand partnerships developed. Went into series looking for runs but has batted pretty well.
ALEX HALES 7.5 Not easy to come in for one game at the end. I think he’s a fabulous player and his absence shows the depth in England’s batting. It’s a worry that he has given up red-ball cricket.
BEN STOKES 6.5 Couple of good scores on his return and his batting looked more in rhythm than his bowling after a long absence. Lifted the side in the field. Bowling remains hugely important to balance of the side.
JOS BUTTLER 6.5 Pretty quiet series after a decent start in Hamilton. Unusual for him not to make at least one match-winning score in a five-match series. His glovework was good.
MOEEN ALI 8 Real peaks and troughs in form as an off spinner but rarely lets the side down with the ball in one-day cricket. Got England back in the game in Wellington with quick three wickets at a time when the series might have been going away from them.
CHRIS WOAKES 9 Brilliant with the new ball in every game on pitches that, other than Wellington, were not responsive for him. Provided experience for England that was lacking in the Twenty20 tri-series.
ADIL RASHID 8.5 Excellent in Christchurch to end a productive series in which he has barely bowled a bad ball. In the past he would have got the odd wicket with long-hops or full tosses. Confidence is high now.
TOM CURRAN 6.5 Brilliant bowling at the death in Wellington to repay the faith his captain Eoin Morgan has shown in him. That will give him a lot of confidence. Needs to work on his control of line and length earlier in the innings.
MARK WOOD 8 Got better with every game. England are keen to get him in and leave him there as he gives them variation on flat pitches. Seems to have lost a bit of nip but hopefully that will return the more he plays.
DAVID WILLEY 8 When he played he did very well and I’m surprised they left him out at Wellington. I would have wanted his accuracy more than Wood’s pace. Bowled better than he did in the Twenty20 tri-series.