England player ratings as Ben Stokes perfect 10 but two stars struggle in Ashes
England were bowled out for 172 on day one of the Ashes, but Ben Stokes’ side responded brilliantly with the ball in hand as Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse shone
Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes were exceptional for England after a dismal start on day one in Australia. Having been bowled out for a mere 172 runs, Brendon McCullum’s side were left reeling as Mitchell Starc dominated in the absence of Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood.
Starc, the Aussie speedster, racked up an impressive 7-58, sending Zak Crawley, Joe Root and Mark Wood back to the pavilion without scoring. He ripped through England’s batting line-up, also dismissing Ben Duckett, Stokes, Jamie Smith and Gus Atkinson in a stellar performance.
Brook was the top scorer for England with 52 runs, while Pope, Smith and Duckett all managed to reach double figures. Despite their poor showing with the bat, England bounced back admirably with captain Stokes taking five wickets, and Archer and Brydon Carse providing a glimmer of hope at the close of the first day.
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Zak Crawley – 3
He needed to demonstrate more composure in the opening over and made it too easy for the Aussies to claim the game’s first wicket. More is expected from him in the second innings.
Ben Duckett – 5
He reacted well following the loss of his opening partner and attempted to take the fight to the Australians but was undone by a beauty from Starc.
Ollie Pope – 6
Pope was clearly annoyed after being given out lbw, but aside from his dismissal, he appeared confident. England’s second-highest run-scorer fell just short of his half-century.
Joe Root – 3
England’s top batsman had a disappointing first innings, getting out after just seven balls. It won’t be the defining moment of his tour, but he knows his team needs more from him.
Harry Brook – 6
Brook was England’s most inspiring player at the crease. He took the fight to Australia when they needed to bounce back from a poor start.
He also took a crucial catch in the slips to dismiss Steve Smith.
Jamie Smith – 6
Smith scored a quickfire 33 off just 22 balls, keeping the scoreboard ticking over as Australia made inroads. He could have shown a bit more composure before his dismissal but kept well.
Ben Stokes – 10
Stokes didn’t shine with the bat but led the charge with the ball. His brilliant five-wicket haul included the dismissal of Travis Head and he kept the pressure on by taking the wickets of Cameron Green, Mitchell Starc, and Alex Narey.
Gus Atkinson – 8
Atkinson was the man Stokes turned to keep the Aussie batsmen under pressure. He didn’t take any wickets on the first day, but bowled four maidens in nine overs.
Brydon Carse – 8
Carse claimed two vital wickets, dismissing Australia’s dangerman Steve Smith and sending Usman Khawaja back to the pavilion late in the day.
Jofra Archer – 9
Archer was England’s best bowler until Stokes stole the show. His two early wickets set the tone and he bowled four maiden overs out of eight.
Keeping him fit is crucial.
Mark Wood – 7
Wood hasn’t played much cricket this summer but came charging in with a first over of 92-93mph. He didn’t claim any wickets but looked threatening.
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