England player ratings: Wood and Smith star in series sweep

Take a look at how we rated England’s players out of 10 following their 3-0 series sweep over the West Indies at home…

Zak Crawley – 5 (out of 10)

The right-hander made a solid contribution at Lord’s with his 76 but had an underwhelming performance during the second Test at Trent Bridge making scores of nought and three in the first and second innings respectively.

The 26-year-old was dismissed three times by Jayden Seales and at Edgbaston hit 18 before nicking the West Indies pacer behind.

Crawley also dropped Jason Holder on 12 at first slip in the final Test and while it wasn’t a costly error, given England had already clinched the series victory and were on course for a whitewash, it was an easy chance and the hosts will look to improve in that area.

England’s head coach Brendon McCullum confirmed in the post-match presentation that Crawley had picked up a fracture in his hand, a slight concern given the first Test against Sri Lanka starts on August 21.

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Ben Duckett – 7

England’s opener made entertaining knocks with the bat, hitting a total of 29 boundaries across the three Tests to help his side make an aggressive start.

After his fellow opener Crawley was dismissed early, Duckett often spearheaded the innings to help England recover, particularly at Trent Bridge where he made scores of 71 and 76.

Duckett was dismissed for three twice across the series, at Lord’s and Edgbaston, but his fluency with the bat is an embodiment of Bazball and remains a firm opener for the side.

Ollie Pope – 7

The right-hander struck a brilliant 121 at Trent Bridge that helped put England in a dominant position against a reviving West Indies side.

He also made two half-centuries at Lord’s and Trent Bridge before being dismissed for 10 at Edgbaston. Pope also contributed in the field taking four sharp catches and has made a welcome return to form since his 196 in Hyderabad earlier this year.

Joe Root – 8

Root made England’s highest individual total with a scintillating 122 at Trent Bridge that helped England seal the deciding Test comfortably, while also scoring two half centuries in the other two Tests.

His tally took him past 12,000 Test runs, saw him surpass Sir Alastair Cook as the leading Test run-scorer at Edgbaston on 920 and counting, and move above West Indies icon Brian Lara and up to seventh on the all-time Test run-scorers list.

Harry Brook – 8

Brook, like Duckett, seems like a natural Baz-baller. He made his first home Test century, his fifth in total, at Trent Bridge during a 189-run stand with Root. His previous four tons had come overseas in Pakistan and New Zealand and his score of 109 further cemented his batting prowess.

Throughout the series he hammered 23 fours and two sixes, providing a solid middle-order source of runs for England. He’s often stationed in the slip cordon and took five vital catches during the series to ensure he was also contributing in the field.

Ben Stokes – 7

In the third Test, Ben Stokes set a record for the fastest Test half-century by an England batter to help his side complete a series clean sweep in double-quick time.

He reached the feat in 24 balls, surpassing Ian Botham’s 28-ball fifty against India in 1981 at Delhi.

He highest total in the series was 69 at Trent Bridge while he also made scores of 54 and 57 not out at Edgbaston. The 33-year-old also looks in good form with the ball after recovering from knee surgery by taking five wickets across the three Tests.

His all-round abilities and excellent captaincy, particularly over the introduction of Jamie Smith, Gus Atkinson and Shoaib Bashir, make his contributions invaluable.

“Ben Stokes is lean and strong, you look at him and his frame looks ready for Test match cricket,” said Mel Jones on Sky Sports Cricket.

“He’s throwing himself around and has confidence in his body, his knee feels good and when he’s up and about bowling, it’s just a different feeling.”

Jamie Smith – 9

Smith has rewarded the selectors who took a chance on him. The 24-year-old wicketkeeper was brought in to provide lower-order impetus and made a memorable 70 on his debut at Lord’s.

He fell agonisingly short of what would have been his maiden Test century after he was bowled by Shamar Joseph on 95 at Trent Bridge, but is important to England with the bat while also showing brilliant glovework behind the stumps, taking 14 catches across the three-match series.

Chris Woakes – 8

The seamer improved as the series went on, beggining with a well-earned six-wicket match haul during the second Test at Nottingham.

The 35-year-old also made valuable contributions with the bat hitting 62 at Edgbaston, sharing a 106-run partnership with Smith that helped England build a substantial first-innings lead.

Gus Atkinson – 8

The Surrey seamer made an immediate impact at Lord’s, becoming the first England player since Alec Bedser in 1946 to take 10 wickets on his Test debut.

His 7-45 in the first innings was followed by 5-61 in the second to complete a comfortable victory for the home side, earning him player of the match.

He took a total of 22 wickets during the series and, like many of England’s debutants, shows great promise for the future.

Shoaib Bashir – 9

Bashir became the first spinner since Sri Lanka great Muttiah Muralitharan in 2006 to take a five-wicket haul in a Test at Trent Bridge.

His adjustment to the England set up has been remarkable, especially considering his lack of first-class experience before his debut in India earlier this year, but he is also a testament to the incredible culture that Stokes has cultivated in the dressing room.

He took a total of nine wickets during the second and third Tests after being unused with the ball at Lord’s in the first.

Mark Wood – 9

England’s paceman bowled the fastest over by an Englishman since records began on day two of the second Test at Trent Bridge (97.1 mph) and while he only managed to pick up two wickets in that match, he reaped his rewards at Edgbaston where he bowled England towards victory with figures of 5-40 in the West Indies’ second innings.

This included taking the tourists’ final three wickets in one over, which earned him Player of the Match honours with his captain Stokes saying he has a “heart of a lion.”

James Anderson – 7

The curtain came down on the 41-year-old’s international career at Lord’s in a heart-warming manner and he continued to show what he is still capable of.

Anderson took one wicket in the first innings and then 3-32 in the second to finish on 704 wickets at Test level – third on the all-time Test list – helping him sign off with one final win.

England’s Test series vs West Indies

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