The Ashes 2019: Player-by-player ratings and averages for England and Australia

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England

Rory Burns: His 390 runs in the series made him easily the standout opener of the summer. Started with a century at Edgbaston and made two more 50s as he faced down Australia's short-ball tactics. Caught well.

• Runs: 390
• Best Score: 133
• Average: 39
• Rating: 8

Jason Roy: England hoped to transplant his one-day brilliance into the Test team but the experiment was an unequivocal failure before he was axed at his home ground.

• Runs: 110
• Best Score: 31
• Average: 13.75
• Rating: 2

Joe Denly: Did not look up to standard at the start of the series but knuckled down impressively, even after being shunted up to opener from number four. Signed off with a career-best 94 at The Oval.

• Runs: 312
• Best Score: 94
• Average: 31.20
• Rating: 6

Joe Root: Three ducks and four half-centuries are a middling return for the team's leading batsman. Root judges himself by the highest standards and will not be pleased by the lack of a major score. The first England captain not to lift the urn at home since 2001.

• Runs: 325
• Best Score: 77
• Average: 32.50
• Rating: 5

Ben Stokes: Where else to start but his contender for greatest Test innings of all time at Headingley? Only Steve Smith scored more than his 441 at an average of 55.12 and his hard-working seamers brought eight wickets too.

• Runs: 441
• Best Score: 135*
• Average: 55.12
• Wickets & runs conceded: 8/362
• Best bowling: 3/56
• Bowling average: 45.25
• Rating: 9

Jos Buttler: Three extremely poor Tests followed by two much-improved efforts at Old Trafford and The Oval. Looks to have learned lessons but his Test cricket lags well behind his one-day brilliance.

• Runs: 247
• Best Score: 70
• Average: 24.70
• Rating: 5

Jonny Bairstow: Averaged 23.77 with a top score of 52 and seems to be in a rut against the red ball. Kept wicket better than his opposite number, Tim Paine, but might not have done enough to hold off Ben Foakes' claims.

• Runs: 214
• Best Score: 52
• Average: 23.77
• Rating: 4

Jofra Archer: A stone-cold superstar. Followed his World Cup winner's medal with 22 wickets at 20.27 in his first major Test series and bowled some utterly spell-binding bursts of extreme pace.

• Wickets & runs conceded: 22/446
• Best Score: 6/45
• Average: 20.27
• Rating: 8

Chris Woakes: Curiously under-used by Root at times and not always at his best when called upon. Might have played fewer games had injuries not hit the bowling ranks.

• Wickets & runs conceded: 10/331
• Best Score: 3/58
• Average: 33.10
• Rating: 5

Jack Leach: Catapulted into a high-pressure environment after Moeen Ali was dropped, and became a fan favourite for his brilliant supporting role to Stokes' miracle in Leeds. Finished on a high with four wickets in the final innings of the series but must look to improve his left-arm spin.

• Wickets & runs conceded: 12/310
• Best Score: 4/49
• Average: 25.83
• Rating: 6

Stuart Broad: Rolled back the years after being asked to lead the attack in James Anderson's absence. Dominated David Warner and finished as England's leading wicket-taker with 23.

• Wickets & runs conceded: 23/613
• Best: 5/86
• Average: 26.65
• Rating: 8

One Test Players

Sam Curran: Man of the series against India last summer but only rolled out at the last moment. A bright future awaits and he will be unlucky to be left out on home soil next year.

Moeen Ali: Dropped after a poor show in the series opener, during which he made four runs in two innings and failed to make the most of a turning Edgbaston pitch.

Craig Overton: A surprising pick in the crucial fourth Test after 18 months out of the squad. Bowled heartily without much menace and batted stoically in a vain attempt to save the game.

James Anderson: Injured his right calf after bowling just four overs on the first morning in what will surely be his final Ashes campaign. Should England have checked his fitness with more rigour?

Australia

David Warner: The worst display in history by an opening batsman in a five-match series. Registered only 95 runs from 10 innings, was out for three successive ducks and guilty of multiple drops in the field.

• Runs: 95
• Best Score: 61
• Average: 9.50
• Rating: 1

Marcus Harris: Came in for Cameron Bancroft after the Lord's Test but was woeful. Averaged just 9.66 and cost his team dearly in the final Test by dropping Joe Denly - who went on to make 94 - for nought. 2

• Runs: 58
• Best Score: 19
• Average: 9.66
• Rating: 2

Marnus Labuschagne: Became the first concussion substitute after Steve Smith was clattered by a Jofra Archer delivery at Lord's. Duly seized his chance with four successive 50s.

• Runs: 353
• Best Score: 80
• Average: 50.42
• Rating: 7

Steve Smith: Almost single-handedly retained the urn for Australia with a string of sensational knocks totalling 774. Could easily have challenged Don Bradman's five-match series record of 974 had he not been curtailed by concussion and missed three innings.

• Runs: 774
• Best Score: 211
• Average: 110.57
• Rating: 10

Matthew Wade: Centuries to start and finish the series but contributed little in between. Appeared happy to play the part of pantomime villain and seemed extremely unpopular with his opponents. 6

• Runs: 337
• Best Score: 117
• Average: 33.70
• Rating: 6

Tim Paine: Lifted the urn but lacked leadership and was reliant on the contribution of others. Made a string of poor review calls and became increasingly tetchy when questioned on the subject. Averaged 20.

• Runs: 180
• Best Score: 58
• Average: 20
• Rating: 4

Travis Head: Fairly anonymous in his role as vice-captain and dropped for the final Test. 4

• Runs: 191
• Best Score: 51
• Average: 27.28
• Rating: 4

Cameron Bancroft: Averaged 11 in the opening two Tests before being dropped. 3

• Runs: 44
• Best Score: 16
• Average: 11
• Rating: 3

Usman Khawaja: Left out for the final two Tests after averaging 20.33 across the first three. Poor figures but by no means Australia's worst batsman.

• Runs: 122
• Best Score: 40
• Average: 20.33
• Rating: 3

Pat Cummins: Australia's outstanding bowler. Took a wicket in every innings and finished as the series' top-wicket taker with 29. Deserved an elusive five-for. 8

• Wickets & runs conceded: 29/569
• Best: 4/32
• Average: 19.62
• Rating: 8

Peter Siddle: Impressed at Edgbaston and Lord's, but struggled at The Oval.

• Wickets & runs conceded: 7/295
• Best: 2/52
• Average: 42.14
• Rating: 5

Nathan Lyon: Finished with 20 wickets, although a costly fumble at Headingley allowed England back into the contest, leading to a drawn series.

• Wickets & runs conceded: 20/668
• Best: 6/49
• Average: 33.40
• Rating: 6

Josh Hazlewood: Enjoyed an impressive series with 20 wickets, including nine in Leeds. Appeared to save his best balls for Joe Root.

• Wickets & runs conceded: 20/437
• Best: 5/30
• Average: 21.85
• Rating: 7

James Pattinson: Took five wickets across the Edgbaston and Headingley Tests.

• Wickets & runs conceded: 5/167
• Best: 2/9
• Average: 33.40
• Rating: 5

One Test Players

Mitchell Marsh: Recalled for the series finale to make his first international appearance in nine months having previously being dropped because of weight issues. Recorded his first Test five-for. 7

Mitchell Starc: Only appeared at Old Trafford. Enjoyed some fine spells and a handy 54 with the bat, although he did not bowl consistently well in the first innings. 6

Related links

• Fifth Test: Day four report
• Fifth Test: Day three report
• Fifth Test: Day two report
• Fifth Test: Day one report
• Richard Mann's latest Ashes diary
• Ashes: Test dates, venues & results