Australia – as they so often tend to do – seized the big moments to win yet another Ashes series against England.
Pat Cummins‘ men were inspired on home soil, with Mitchell Starc and Travis Head the standouts across five Tests for the hosts.
The tourists unveiled a rising star in Jacob Bethell at the SCG, but it was one highlight on a tour largely to forget.
Daily Mail Sport’s LAWRENCE BOOTH was at all five Tests and below are his Ashes series player ratings.
England
Zak Crawley 5
Responded to his pair at Perth with 76 and 44 at Brisbane, then 85 at Adelaide, but as usual he couldn’t translate his starts into hundreds, and he tailed off at Sydney. If a new regime is in place come the summer, he will be vulnerable.
Ben Duckett 3
A huge disappointment. He often looked as lost as he did that night in Noosa, and failed to convert any of his six scores of 20-plus into anything above 42. His career average is now on the wrong side of 40. Dropped three catches too.
Ollie Pope 3
A relatively calm 46 on the first day at Perth was as good as it got, and Pope was soon reverting to his fidgetiness outside off stump. He should never have started the series, which the selectors belatedly acknowledged by dropping him after Adelaide.
Jacob Bethell 8
Where has he been all our lives? Finally given a chance at No 3, he made a sparkling 40 in the tricky chase at Melbourne, then played arguably the knock of the series at Sydney – a superb 154 in an innings where no one else reached 50.
Joe Root 7.5
At Brisbane, he removed from his neck the millstone of not having scored a century in Australia, then added another at Sydney. But England needed more from him in between, and eight other innings brought only 102. Tantalisingly, he did not rule out returning here in four years’ time.
Harry Brook 6
Became a lightning-rod for the debate about England’s approach, after playing what he called ‘shocking’ strokes at Perth and Brisbane. Six scores between 30 and 52 confirmed what might have been, and he threw away a hundred in the first innings at the SCG.
Ben Stokes may not like to admit it, but England were second best in many areas across the Ashes series
Jacob Bethell offered hope for the future after his fighting century at the SCG in the fifth Test (pictured)
Ben Stokes 6
His bowling was world-class, his batting frail, his captaincy mixed. And, for the third series in a row, he couldn’t quite drag his battered body over the finishing line. Assuming he doesn’t fall apart, he can captain this side all the way until the 2027 Ashes, though the lack of alternatives is a worry.
Jamie Smith 4.5
He’s better than this, but barely gave himself a chance. He dropped Head at Brisbane, self-combusted at Adelaide after playing well for 60, then wrote himself into history with The Worst Shot Ever Played, at Sydney. Rounded his tour off with a chaotic run-out.
Will Jacks 5
Tried hard in an unfamiliar role: first-choice spinner, No 8 batsman. But he wasn’t good enough in either, despite a pair of gutsy 40s at Brisbane and Adelaide. His tour unravelled at Sydney where he dropped a howler at deep square leg, then was caught at deep midwicket for a duck in the second innings.
Gus Atkinson 5.5
Often bowled better than a series haul of six wickets at 47 suggests, especially with the new ball, when he had little luck. But another hamstring injury raised fresh concerns about his fitness.
Brydon Carse 6
His haul of 22 wickets was the most by an England seamer in an away Ashes since Jimmy Anderson in 2010-11, but that covered a multitude of sins. Carse regularly wasted the new ball, and his economy-rate of 4.71 reflected England’s lack of control.
Brydon Carse toiled hard for the visitors, but was often expensive with the new ball
Josh Tongue 8
The one unmitigated success of England’s tour, Tongue can lead the attack for the next five years if he stays fit. Sixteen of his 18 wickets at 20 were top-seven batsmen, and he is unfazed by Steve Smith. Should have featured earlier than the third Test.
Mark Wood 4
The selectors had to take a chance on the world’s quickest bowler, but he could manage only 11 wicketless overs at Perth before his knee packed in again. It’s hard to imagine he’ll play for England again.
Jofra Archer 7
Put in one of the bowling performances of the series to take five for 53 in Australia’s first innings, before a side strain ruled him out of the last two Tests. He alone offered Stokes control, and batted better than ever, finishing fifth in England’s averages.
Matthew Potts 2
Oh dear. Through no fault of his own, Potts was asked to play his first Test of the series after no first-class cricket since September. He was predictably mauled by Head, and has drifted back down the pecking order ahead of the summer.
Travis Head plundered centuries in Perth, Adelaide and Sydney in what was a dynamic series personally
Mitchell Starc snared a series-high 31 wickets and averaged more with the bat than Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope and Ben Stokes
Australia
Jake Weatherald 4
Played one innings of substance, at Brisbane, where his cut shot was spoon-fed. Otherwise a prime lbw candidate. England will be hoping he’s still around come the 2027 Ashes.
Travis Head 9
Became the first Australian opener this century to top 600 runs in an Ashes series, repeatedly taking the game away from England with hundreds at Perth, Adelaide and Sydney. Scored at 87 per 100 balls too.
Marnus Labuschagne 5
His prolific pre-series form with Queensland counted for little as he struggled against England’s seamers, especially Tongue. Added comedy value with the wicket of Jamie Smith at Sydney, then ran himself out on the last day.
Steve Smith 7.5
Not as dominant as he has been in previous Ashes series, but he still managed a hundred, and was tough to dislodge. A tactically astute hand on the tiller in Cummins’ absence.
Usman Khawaja 5.5
Never far from the headlines after his back spasm in Perth. Survived an early drop by Brook to make a redemptive 82 at Adelaide, but he was right to retire – taking a dig at Australian racial attitudes as he went.
Alex Carey 8.5
His lightning glovework up to the stumps off Boland and Neser played a huge role in suffocating England, and his double of 106 and 72 on his home ground at Adelaide was one of Australia’s highlights of the series.
Alex Carey was brilliant behind the stumps – and also delighted the Adelaide locals with a century (pictured, after scoring the winning runs at the SCG)
Josh Inglis 5
Ran out Stokes in Brisbane, but was hampered by the unusual role of being a specialist No 7, which made it hard to build an innings.
Cameron Green 2.5
He looks like he has all the attributes, then averages 24 with the bat and 71 with the ball. His dismissal at Brisbane, bowled by Carse as he backed away, was as bad as anything England managed.
Beau Webster 7
England will be grateful Webster was squeezed out of the side until Sydney, where he made an unbeaten 71 from No 9 and showed his versatility with the ball, taking three key wickets with his off-spin.
Pat Cummins 7.5
Played only one Test while he nursed his sore back, but he made it count, taking match figures of six for 117 on a flat one at Adelaide, including Root twice.
Mitchell Starc 9.5
Magnificent. With Cummins and Hazlewood playing one Test between them, Starc rose to the challenge like a champion, finishing with 31 wickets and averaged more with the bat than Duckett, Pope, Stokes, Smith and Jacks.
Michael Neser 8
Bowled Australia to victory in Brisbane, and hammered out a length with a relentlessness England’s seamers couldn’t match. Contributed with the bat too, especially as nightwatchman at Sydney.
Stand in skipper Steve Smith takes a selfie with the Ashes trophy with his Aussie teammates (pictured)
Brendan Doggett 6
Was used by Australia when they needed to go short, which was asking a lot of a debut bowler operating in the low-80mphs, but he responded by collecting a few leg-side strangles.
Scott Boland 8
Epitomised Australia’s seam-bowling accuracy, and peaked at Sydney where he was all over Root in England’s second innings. Went at just 3.12 an over, no mean feat against the Bazballers.
Nathan Lyon 6
His most memorable contribution to the series was to describe himself as ‘filthy’ after being left out at the Gabba. But he also sent England on the defensive by removing Pope and Duckett in his first over at Adelaide.
Jhye Richardson 6
Picked up a couple of late wickets in the MCG shootout, but Australia still have concerns over his fitness.
