Fifth Ashes Test player ratings

AUSTRALIA 80/110

Chris Rogers 7/10

In his farewell Test Rogers showed that leaving the ball is a skill that ensures survival against the new ball. His 110-run opening partnership with Warner was the platform Australia needed to wear England down. And he was Australia's player of the series.

David Warner 8/10

Made his best first innings score of the series and showed again alongside Rogers that substantial opening partnerships deflate bowlers expectations and shift the balance of the game.

Steve Smith 9/10

Back on happier batting turf, Smith played another anchoring innings that assured Australia's control of the contest. His player-of-the-match 143 contained plenty of glittering boundaries and he followed up with the prize wicket of Alastair Cook. 

Michael Clarke 7/10

The retiring captain may not have looked likely with the bat but given a strong score to defend he maneuvered his bowlers skilfully and intelligently. Eleven English wickets fell within seven balls of a bowling change. A strong farewell performance from an outstanding cricketer.

Adam Voges 7/10

Showed his best in an influential partnership with Smith that could prolong his career into the Australian summer. Wrapped his fingers around some catches assuredly at slip and short leg too.

Mitchell Marsh 7/10

The younger Marsh is the bowling allrounder and his match figures showed how important his pace and skill can be. Should tie down number six for the long term if he can find some runs as well.

Peter Nevill 7/10 

Kept tidily and took the chances that he had too. Starting to look more settled as the regular wicketkeeper after four Tests and that confidence can spill into more influence with the bat as well.

Mitchell Johnson 6/10

Grabbed key wickets with his bounce bowling to finish the series with 15 wickets. On a hat-trick going into England's follow on and snared Joe Root's wicket via a top edge to fine leg that shook the middle out of England's second innings.

Mitchell Starc 5/10

 

Batted well with a quick 58 but it was his most disappointing bowling performance of the series. Struggled for any consistency and wasted too many deliveries. Was the leading Australian wicket taker with 18 wickets, but was too spasmodic when more control and striking skill was needed.

Peter Siddle 9/10

Outstanding length and swing bowling strangled England's batsmen. Oh what might have been had he played more often in this series. At thirty years of age, could this be the rejuvenation of career that sits at 198 Test wickets?

Nathan Lyon 8/10

Another impressive match. He bowled Cook with a ripper in the first innings and pinned him down in the second while picking up the key wickets of Bairstow and Stokes in one over. Could be the most successful off spinner in Test history on current form.

ENGLAND 52/110

Adam Lyth 3/10

The end of a terrible series for the opener who has failed to give even a glimpse of his real ability he shows when he’s wearing a Yorkshire shirt. His determination to leave well and get to 19 in the first innings was admirable, but he threw it away by scooping his first ever ball from Peter Siddle to mid on. Such a gift.

Alastair Cook 8/10

Watch: Cook fights hard at The Oval

It will eat away at Cook ever so slightly that he has never scored an Ashes hundred at home. His 96 at Lord’s and then this 85 at the Oval should have both ended the stat. Still, he is a double winning Ashes captain now and he showed that Test cricket doesn’t have to be all gung-ho, there is room for the steady eddie too.

Ian Bell 3/10

This game just seemed beyond him. There is no doubting Bell’s quality as a Test batsman but boy he looks tired and jaded. The ball that got him in the first innings was good, but not unplayable. He is making mistakes that he simply doesn’t make at his best. Perhaps the break before the UAE will help, but he needs to find the form he had at Edgbaston again soon.

Joe Root 4/10

Man of the series Joe Root reflects on dream Ashes campaign

If anyone deserved an off match it was Root. The player of the series has been in blistering form, but he was rendered shotless by Siddle and Co on a ground where his back foot play would be well suited. The emotion and effort that he had spent throughout the series finally caught up with him. No problem.

Jonny Bairstow 3/10

Watch: Bairstow cops a nasty blow in the field

Gets a lower mark than he otherwise would for walking off the field when he was caught via the helmet of the close fielder for the SECOND time in his career. Of course when that happens you are not out, but Bairstow apparently didn’t learn from his experience in India and that is a concern. His inconsistency remains infuriating.

Ben Stokes 4/10

Full of good intentions, but running on empty a little. His shot choices were poor for both dismissals which suggests a frazzled mind while his bowling remained wholehearted and generally good. Stokes will continue to win matches for England, but the gap between them will get smaller in time. He was ready to party as soon as the car pulled into the ground and why not?

Jos Buttler 5/10

A slightly better effort with the bat than in the rest of the series, but then that is not saying a huge amount. This has been a learning curve for Buttler, but he has kept well and improved his glovework from last summer. The fact he spent more than two hours at the crease in the second innings was a good thing for him and the team.

Moeen Ali 6/10

More useful contributions down the order from Ali, who may find himself promoted in the UAE on the next tour. There was also another wicket trio for him, including David Warner for the fourth time. However these wickets were expensive, and he is not really providing the control that the captain is looking for from his spinner. More work to do, but a very talented cricketer.

Stuart Broad 5/10

If the win at Trent Bridge took it out of anyone it was Broad. The spearhead really struggled to find his mojo at The Oval and went wicketless in his 20 overs. His lengths were too short and he just couldn’t generate that zip. The truth is his work had been done, and anything more would have been a bonus. He ended up the series leading wicket-taker and that is a big tick by his name.

Mark Wood 5/10

Another full tilt at Test cricket from Wood, but couldn’t quite pick up the slack this time. His batting is very handy and he makes a fine nightwatchman, but it is his bowling that pays the bills and perhaps the South Africa tour in December is where he will make a bigger impact. Great team man, and lovely to see him give his imaginary horse a gallop during the lap of honour.

Steven Finn 6/10

Finn represents the future of England’s pace attack when Anderson and Broad are no longer steaming in. And he showed that on any surface he can extract pace and bounce to trouble anyone. Australia batted well, but Finn will be nearing his peak during the next series, Steve Smith be warned.