England's fourth Test of this year's Ashes series ended in a rain-hit draw with Australia at Old Trafford; we run the rule over how the team performed as individuals as the Aussies retained the Ashes; watch the fifth Ashes Test from The Oval, live on Sky Sports Cricket from July 27
Sunday 23 July 2023 19:53, UK
Take a look at how we rated England's players out of 10 for their performances in the rain-hit draw with Australia at Emirates Old Trafford...
An immense batting display from the England opener in the single innings the weather afforded the hosts. Crawley's 189 was the highest score in an innings so far by a player from either side, and came off just 182 balls.
The 25-year-old took risks, and was fortunate with a number of edges, but he played with a boldness and aggressiveness that deserved a bit of luck. He hit 21 fours and three sixes as Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazelwood struggled to remove him before Cameron Green eventually forced a drag-on dismissal.
By far and away Crawley's best display in this series to date.
Not great at all from the England opener, albeit he only had the one opportunity to bat. With England having removed Australia for 317 and wrestled the momentum, he was dismissed by Starc for just one off six balls faced, and put England in a position of 9-1.
Fortunately, his performance proved an outlier in England's batting line-up, as Ben Stokes' charges went on to record a phenomenal 592 all out.
With batting scores of 12, 19, 2, 23 and 1 - alongside the far better displays of 98 and 83, both at Lord's - in this series, Duckett will be determined to bat well at The Oval.
Moved up to No 3 in the batting order, this was far better from Moeen. He was controlled and smart with his decisions, registering a high-class 54 off 82 balls, in which he hit seven fours.
With the ball, he bowled 17 overs in Australia's first innings, maintaining an economy rate of 3.82 and taking the important wicket of Australia No 3 Marnus Labuschagne (51).
His second innings bowling performance was less impressive through 13 overs, failing to take a wicket or come close to threatening to do so in all honesty, though his economy did remain respectable at 3.38. Perhaps his finger was bothering him again?
A strong display from England's premier batsman, as he struck 84 from 95 balls, and will be slightly disappointed he did not kick on to claim a century.
He hit eight fours and a six in his innings, lighting up the crowd with a couple of ramp and scoop shots, while also demonstrating his supreme skill with bat in hand.
He also took a catch to remove Travis Head in the first innings, while when bad light dictated that England could not deploy their pace bowlers on day four, Root took the ball for six overs of spin opposite Moeen, and outperformed his England colleague by creating a number of chances and taking the wicket of the dangerous Labuschagne (111).
Brook showed restraint and composure to register his second highest batting total in the series to date, hitting 61 off 100 balls.
Only Crawley faced more balls than 24-year-old Brook, as he ensured he batted time in addition to notching a good score.
He looks far more comfortable at No 5 than the experiment that was his bump up to No 3 in the previous Test at Headingley. Another impressive England performer in this Test.
Was this the Test that confirms England skipper Stokes' transition from all-rounder to batting captain? Stokes did not bowl a single over in this Test, with his knee clearly still causing him discomfort, but he proved a player to trust with the bat yet again for England.
The 32-year-old notched 51 off 74 balls faced, hitting five boundaries along the way, while forming an important partnership with Brook.
The question many are asking, though, is having declared a tad early in first Test defeat, did Stokes leave England batting too long on day three, with the weather forecasts in mind for days four and five?
To much surprise, he did not declare as James Anderson walked out with England's lead already at 209, before Jonny Bairstow moved from 41 to 99 not out. It cost England an extra hour bowling at least. Could that have turned a draw into a series-levelling win?
This Test was so much better from England wicketkeeper Bairstow, both in his keeping and with the bat.
The 33-year-old was a man under fire heading into this Test, with concerns over a number of dropped catches, missed stumpings and batting performances which had brought totals of 5, 10, 12, 16 and 20, after an impressive opening 78 in the first Test.
It had led many to call for a Ben Foakes recall, but Stokes and Brendon McCullum stuck by their man, and how he repaid them.
His wicketkeeping was drastically improved to the point at which he took a stunner of a low one-handed catch to remove Mitch Marsh (51) in the first innings. He also took catches to dismiss David Warner (32) and Alex Carey (20) in the first innings, while catching well for the wickets of Usman Khawaja (18), Steve Smith (17) and Labuschagne (111) in the second.
With the bat, he was phenomenal, striking a marvellous 99 not out from just 81 balls, hitting 10 fours and four sixes as Australia failed to work out how to remove him. They even put all their fielders on the fence to no avail, as the strength and quality of Bairstow saw him continue to dispatch deliveries into the stand, seemingly at will.
Alongside Mark Wood, the introduction of Woakes to this England side since the third Test has been enormously impactful, changing the series hugely.
At Old Trafford, the 34-year-old was the main man with the ball in the first innings, as a wonderful performance saw him take 5-62, removing Warner (32), Marsh (51), Green (16), Carey (20) and Josh Hazlewood (4), while maintaining an economy of 2.77 through 22.2 overs.
Woakes would be well worthy of a 9 rating in truth, but for his batting display, which could not have been worse as he departed for a golden duck.
In the second Australia innings, Woakes bowled 12 overs for an economy of 2.58, taking the wicket of Warner again (28).
What an impact this man has had on this Ashes series. Wood's express pace has utterly bamboozled Australia, and from 28 overs bowled between the two innings in this Test, he took four more wickets.
He claimed the key wicket of Smith (41) in the first innings, with an economy of 3.52, while he took out the talents of Khawaja (18), Smith (17) and Head (1) in the second, where he had an economy of just 2.45.
He could not reproduce the theatrics of his third Test performance with the bat again, scoring just six off eight balls faced, but if this Test had not been destroyed by the rain, you can be sure he would have taken more wickets and led England to victory again.
Day one of this Test proved a history-maker for the tireless Broad, as the 37-year-old took his 600th Test wicket - Head (48) - to become only the fifth man in the history of the sport to do so.
He added the wicket of Khawaja (3) in a first innings in which he bowled 14 overs for an economy of 4.85. He bowled 12 overs in the second innings for a lower economy of 3.91, and added seven with the bat from 10 deliveries faced.
England veteran Anderson may have only taken one wicket from his return to the side on his home ground in Manchester, but his bowling performance was his best in the series to date.
Only Woakes bowled more than Anderson's 20 overs in the first innings, as the 40-year-old - who turns 41 next week - took the wicket of Australia skipper Pat Cummins (1) and had a fabulous economy of just 2.55.
Nobody bowled more than Anderson's 17 overs in the second innings, with his economy even lower at 1.76, giving Australia next to nothing. He also showed courage and stomach with the bat to stick in with Bairstow as the latter kicked on to 99.
Will Anderson now play at The Oval where his record is not the best? Or could this have been his final England Test?
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