England in West Indies: Joe Root, Ben Stokes & tourists' other players assessed after series defeat

2 years ago 24

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After another series defeat in the West Indies, and a winless run that has extended to nine games, there are more questions around England.

With their next Test not until 2 June, when they play New Zealand at Lord's, BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew and the Mirror's Dean Wilson assess which players are in credit, who has work to do and who has gone backwards during the tour as part of the BBC Test Match Special podcast.

Zak Crawley

Innings: Six, Runs: 184, Average: 30.66, High score: 121

Agnew: He's got work to do. He made a familiar mistake because he got out hitting a booming drive in the third Test and nicking to second slip. That was disappointing because he'd had a pretty good series.

Alex Lees

Innings: Six, Runs: 126, Average: 21.00, High score: 31

Agnew: He's shown a good technique. He'll get one or two more shots in the locker, but Sir Alastair Cook scored a million runs with only three or four shots to go on. He's in credit for me.

Wilson: In the end he was the only batsman who stood firm in Grenada and in the end it was a bit of a shooter that got him. He's got a little bit of credit.

Joe Root

Innings: Six, Runs: 289, Average: 48.16, High score: 153, Wicket: One

Agnew: He scored successive hundreds and I think you need to keep that separate to his captaincy. The good things are that his captaincy woes haven't affected his batting. He's obviously in credit from a batting perspective.

Dan Lawrence

Innings: Six, Runs: 197, Average: 32.83, High score: 91, Wickets: Two

Agnew: I liked him. He batted with lots of flair, but it is disappointing how he got out in the second innings in Grenada. He'd have credit in the bank for me.

Wilson: He's in credit because the way he played in both Antigua and Barbados was for the team and very selfless. When conditions were in his favour he really took advantage of that and he elevated the game wonderfully in Barbados so I'd give him a big tick for that. He found it a little bit more difficult in Grenada - he struggled to line up his off stump and he made the misjudgement in the second innings so you'd take a little bit back - but overall there is something encouraging.

Ben Stokes

Innings: Six, Runs: 194, Average: 32.33, High score: 120, Wickets: Seven

Agnew: He had a much more demanding tour than England would have perhaps wanted because of the injury to Mark Wood. There is no doubt that he really reasserted himself back on the team having had issues in the last couple of years - they seem to be in the background now. He was very clearly playing a strong vice captaincy role during the tour and it may be that he is the man who steps up to take over the team. He is credit.

Jonny Bairstow

Innings: Six, Runs: 226, Average: 45.20, High score: 140

Agnew: He got a good hundred in Antigua, and he's always enthusiastic. He's in credit.

Ben Foakes

Innings: Six, Runs: 96, Average: 19.20, High score: 42

Agnew: He's in the work to do section for me. He did keep well, but I'm not entirely convinced about him at seven and the run out in the second innings in Grenada was an utter brainstorm.

Wilson: It was a shame for him because he's had a couple of opportunities on this tour - he made 40-odd in Antigua and he couldn't go on and then in the final game in Grenada, Joshua da Silva - the West Indies keeper - really battled and understood the situation of the game, I don't see any reason why Foakes couldn't have played an innings like that. Maybe it is a lot to ask, but I think he's got the ability. He really gave his wicket away.

Chris Woakes

Matches: Three, Wickets: Five, Average: 48.80, Best figures: 3-59, Runs: 140, Average: 35.00

Agnew: I feel a bit harsh putting him in the backwards category. He's had opportunities, and I feel a bit harsh because he bowled on two absolute roads.

Wilson: He's played a lot of cricket since last summer - he is a key player in the T20 side and then played four of the five Ashes Tests before being asked to come and lead the attack away from home, with a ball that does you no favours, on a couple of surfaces that will do you no favours. He makes no excuses - he says this is his chance and there hasn't been a word of mumble or grumble from him and I can only commend him for that. He's a great guy.

Craig Overton

Matches: Three, Wickets: Four, Average: 47.25, Best figures: 2-81

Agnew: He was pressed into bowling that short-pitch length in Grenada because there was simply nobody with much pace playing in the game - normally he wouldn't be asked to do it. He will remain very much in contention during the summer - it is clear that the selectors rate him highly. He just needs to work on a nagging accuracy, rather in the way Angus Fraser used to bowl, so he's got work to do.

Jack Leach

Matches: Three, Wickets: 11, Average: 30.81, Best figures: 6-154

Agnew: Leach is an interesting one. He's in credit for me, even though I know he was disappointed with the way he bowled in Barbados. What I like about Leach is that he acknowledges that and he is working so hard to get better. That's why he's in credit for me.

Wilson: He's had a good tour - he's the leading wicket-taker and he's bowled over after over. He isn't here for his batting but his commitment and the way he dug England out of a hole in Grenada is credit to him. He's in credit.

Saqib Mahmood

Matches: Two, Wickets: Six, Average: 22.83, Best figures: 4-79

Agnew: He was one of the finds of the tour for me. He's in credit.

Wilson: From the moment his name was put in the squad I was looking forward to him playing. He might not have done if Mark Wood hadn't got injured and Ollie Robinson was fit, but he has absolutely grabbed his chance as best as he could. He's shown not only real potential but also real skill. The West Indies found him the most threatening bowler in Barbados. He's a big tick for me - he's got credit in the bank, and I really look forward to seeing him in the summer.

Matthew Fisher

Matches: One, Wickets: One, Average: 71, Best figures: 1-67

Agnew: He made a really promising debut on a desperately flat and slow wicket in Barbados. He has a really nice high action - he's clearly very highly rated by the coaches. I'd like to see him bowl in England because, comparatively, he's played few first-class matches but he strikes me as being one of the genuine successes of the tour, so he is credit.

Ollie Robinson

Did not play because of an ongoing back spasm.

Agnew: He's not had a great tour. He would have bowled well on the Grenada pitch. There was a lot of talk in Hobart about his fitness from the bowling coach and then he's had a back spasm here, which hasn't allowed him on the pitch at all.

Wilson: He's absolutely got work to do - it is a real worry for him and England. The fact that a back spasm has kept him out of all three games - they usually only keep you out of one. What I found concerning was the build-up to the second Test is that everything seemed to be working properly and then something went wrong when he was being considered for selection. He also bowled in between the second and third Test and then something went wrong again and he went backwards and was unavailable.

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