I thought I'd make one of these, seeing how nobody else has yet...
Australia
David Warner: 8 - Certainly more circumspect than his 2013/14 counterpart, and didn't get as much chance to pad his tally either. While he contributed usefully during the series, including with a match-clinching 87* at Brisbane, 47 at Adelaide and 56 at Sydney, he only stamped his match-saving mark on the Melbourne dead rubber, which showcased his newfound maturity and versatility as he went from first-knock effervescence to second-knock stonewalling. Solid fielding, punctuated by the catch from Jake Ball.
Cameron Bancroft: 3.5 - His debut match-winning 82* masked Bancroft's tendency to poke and prod outside off stump and leave an inviting gap between bat and pad, Greg Blewett-style. His failure to score above 27 for the rest of the series, plus his SCG duck, leaves his position under serious question. His handling of the Bairstow affair annoyed England though, so he'll always have that.
Usman Khawaja: 6.5 - Contributed usefully at Adelaide and Perth, but never really convinced until his position came under serious question. When it did, he unfurled a 171 which included (gasp!) affirmative footwork against Ali and Crane and some dismissive drives, flicks and pulls. He may not be a great player of spin, but it's a start. His fielding is still dodgy at times, but he took some nice diving catches. We'll need him to do well in SA.
Steve Smith: 10 - An absolutely stupendous series with the bat. 687 runs, including 141*, 239, 76, 102* and 83. Insane stuff. He was so good often only he could get himself out. However, he doesn't get a (+) because I wasn't entirely convinced by his captaincy at times. His incessant short stuff to the tail allowed Broad to hack a 50 at Melbourne and it didn't always work at Adelaide or Sydney either. His decision to bowl himself (a part-timer) to a set batsman in his 90's also betrays a lack of match awareness. Still, the biggest difference between the two sides.
Peter Handscomb: 2 - Deducted points for not playing the whole series. His 36 under the tricky Adelaide lights stopped a collapse, but otherwise completely out-of-form and lacking confidence, he would miss full balls whereas last summer he would simply edge them through third man at worst. The right move to drop.
Shaun Marsh: 9 - Excellent throughout. His 51 in Brisbane stopped a collapse, his 126* in Adelaide was the difference between the two sides, he contributed in Melbourne and his 156 in Sydney simply buried England. His fielding is still somewhat dodgy though, with two drops and one screamer against Ali.
Mitch Marsh: 8.5 - Deducted points for not playing the whole series. Four innings, two centuries, plus a 29* to save the Melbourne test. You couldn't ask for much more really. He's definitely improved as a batsman, with a tighter defensive technique and greater powers of concentration, while losing none of his ability to up the ante. His bowling was underdone but he was unlucky not to pick up Cook's wicket at least. His fielding was fine in the outfield, less so at first slip.
Tim Paine: 7 - Not outstanding, but exceeded all expectations. He was often a source of useful tail-end runs, most notably his 57 at Adelaide and his keeping, while not flawless, was very good. Has secured his spot for the time being.
Mitchell Starc: 7.5 - Deducted points for not playing the whole series. In many ways, this was a typical Starc series - spray the ball around, then bowl a magic spell to the tail and take a clump of wickets. His ball to Vince won't be forgotten in a hurry, but his intermittent stays at the batting crease will be. Missed at Melbourne.
Pat Cummins: 8.5 - Bradesmaen might disagree, but his figures don't really indicate how well he bowled. He troubled the batsmen constantly; the only criticism I have is that he often bowled too short to take advantage (may have been a plan). In particular the tail found him hard to negotiate. He was also good for a strike against the run of play (Stoneman at Brisbane, Malan at Adelaide). Gains extra for scoring useful runs throughout, including match-defining partnerships at Brisbane and Adelaide.
Josh Hazlewood: 8 - A bit underdone at the start of the series, but his spell to Root and Woakes at Adelaide effectively decided the game and he exploited an uneven surface quite magnificently to win Australia the game at Perth. Made incisions throughout.
Nathan Lyon: 8 - Has shockingly similar figures to the 2013/14 series, but I think he bowled even better this time around. He constantly constricted the scoring and menaced England's many left-handers. He wasn't as good to the right-handers, bowling a bit too short and straight. He will want to work on that against SA's many right-handers.
Jackson Bird: 1.5 - Deducted points for not playing the whole series. He probably didn't bowl as badly as his 0/108 at Melbourne suggested, but he still struggled a bit with his line-and-length on a pitch which simply didn't suit him. Might have been underdone. Still a #11 with the bat.
England
Alastair Cook: 5 - Scored a quite magnificent 244* which was redolent of his 2010/11 efforts, thus explaining his score. However, besides that he scored 132 runs at 17 and contributed nothing when the series was still alive. Got some good deliveries.
Mark Stoneman: 3 - Started the series brightly enough with two starts and two half-centuries, but faded away after the series was lost. Ultimately Carberry Mk 2.
James Vince: 3.5 - Unlucky to be dismissed at Perth and Melbourne, but too often he would flatter to deceive. He would get a start and invariably waft stupidly outside off-stump. Maybe he would fare better against an older ball down the order?
Joe Root: 6.5 - 5 50's is a sterling effort in any series. The problem is that three of those were scored when the series was dead and he was, unlike his opposite number, unable to create a defining innings. I'm not sure about his captaincy - he executed some clever plans at Brisbane, but his decision to bowl first at Adelaide came off as being overly conservative and spoke to his lack of experience. His inexperience with leg-spin also showed. He did show courage though to bat despite being hospitalised only an hour or two before.
Dawid Malan: 7.5 - Not always convincing against inswing or off-spin, but his pugnacity gave England a fighting chance of taking the initative at Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. Unlucky to be dismissed in Melbourne and again contributed in Sydney. A keeper.
Jonny Bairstow: 6.5 - Was admittedly hamstrung by batting at #7 initially but outside of his Perth century he didn't contribute that much to England's cause. Kept well though. Headbutted less well, possibly.
Moeen Ali: 2 - He was rendered impotent by Lyon, Australian pitches and assorted injuries. At home he is a genuine all-rounder but overseas he's a no-rounder. Consider dropping until the home summer.
Chris Woakes: 2.5 - Deducted points for not playing the whole series. Averaging 16 with the bat and 50 with the ball says it all, particularly when 4 wickets were taken in favourable conditions. He often struggled with Australia's short stuff.
Craig Overton: 5 - Deducted points for not playing the whole series. England's second-best bowler and a real trier with both bat and ball. Unlike many of his countrymen, he would look to make something happen by bowling slower balls/cutters. Perhaps could replace Woakes in the future?
Tom Curran: 2 - Deducted points for not playing the whole series. Tried hard, but proved to be less potent than Woakes with the ball and less wily than Overton, albeit in trying conditions. Played a couple of entertaining cameos with the bat.
Stuart Broad: 3 - Bowled well in Brisbane and Melbourne, but generally looked like Jason Gillespie circa 2005, lacking pace, zip and control. He hacked a 50 at Melbourne, but generally he was just cannon fodder with the bat.
Jake Ball: 1.5 - Deducted points for not playing the whole series. He looked almost as impotent as Bird did in Melbourne, on a friendlier pitch. He seriously struggled against the short stuff too.
Mason Crane: 2.5 - Deducted points for not playing the whole series. His figures of 1/193 do not reflect how often he troubled the batsmen. He can turn the ball some and has a decent googly. On the other hand, while Crane definitely looks the better bowler, Borthwick at least picked up some cheap wickets.
James Anderson: 7 - Bowled magnificently when conditions suited and was economical at worst, but he too often struggled to penetrate when conditions didn't suit - unless the game had already slipped away. It seems Australia's strategy was to see his bowling off and it generally worked.
Australia
David Warner: 8 - Certainly more circumspect than his 2013/14 counterpart, and didn't get as much chance to pad his tally either. While he contributed usefully during the series, including with a match-clinching 87* at Brisbane, 47 at Adelaide and 56 at Sydney, he only stamped his match-saving mark on the Melbourne dead rubber, which showcased his newfound maturity and versatility as he went from first-knock effervescence to second-knock stonewalling. Solid fielding, punctuated by the catch from Jake Ball.
Cameron Bancroft: 3.5 - His debut match-winning 82* masked Bancroft's tendency to poke and prod outside off stump and leave an inviting gap between bat and pad, Greg Blewett-style. His failure to score above 27 for the rest of the series, plus his SCG duck, leaves his position under serious question. His handling of the Bairstow affair annoyed England though, so he'll always have that.
Usman Khawaja: 6.5 - Contributed usefully at Adelaide and Perth, but never really convinced until his position came under serious question. When it did, he unfurled a 171 which included (gasp!) affirmative footwork against Ali and Crane and some dismissive drives, flicks and pulls. He may not be a great player of spin, but it's a start. His fielding is still dodgy at times, but he took some nice diving catches. We'll need him to do well in SA.
Steve Smith: 10 - An absolutely stupendous series with the bat. 687 runs, including 141*, 239, 76, 102* and 83. Insane stuff. He was so good often only he could get himself out. However, he doesn't get a (+) because I wasn't entirely convinced by his captaincy at times. His incessant short stuff to the tail allowed Broad to hack a 50 at Melbourne and it didn't always work at Adelaide or Sydney either. His decision to bowl himself (a part-timer) to a set batsman in his 90's also betrays a lack of match awareness. Still, the biggest difference between the two sides.
Peter Handscomb: 2 - Deducted points for not playing the whole series. His 36 under the tricky Adelaide lights stopped a collapse, but otherwise completely out-of-form and lacking confidence, he would miss full balls whereas last summer he would simply edge them through third man at worst. The right move to drop.
Shaun Marsh: 9 - Excellent throughout. His 51 in Brisbane stopped a collapse, his 126* in Adelaide was the difference between the two sides, he contributed in Melbourne and his 156 in Sydney simply buried England. His fielding is still somewhat dodgy though, with two drops and one screamer against Ali.
Mitch Marsh: 8.5 - Deducted points for not playing the whole series. Four innings, two centuries, plus a 29* to save the Melbourne test. You couldn't ask for much more really. He's definitely improved as a batsman, with a tighter defensive technique and greater powers of concentration, while losing none of his ability to up the ante. His bowling was underdone but he was unlucky not to pick up Cook's wicket at least. His fielding was fine in the outfield, less so at first slip.
Tim Paine: 7 - Not outstanding, but exceeded all expectations. He was often a source of useful tail-end runs, most notably his 57 at Adelaide and his keeping, while not flawless, was very good. Has secured his spot for the time being.
Mitchell Starc: 7.5 - Deducted points for not playing the whole series. In many ways, this was a typical Starc series - spray the ball around, then bowl a magic spell to the tail and take a clump of wickets. His ball to Vince won't be forgotten in a hurry, but his intermittent stays at the batting crease will be. Missed at Melbourne.
Pat Cummins: 8.5 - Bradesmaen might disagree, but his figures don't really indicate how well he bowled. He troubled the batsmen constantly; the only criticism I have is that he often bowled too short to take advantage (may have been a plan). In particular the tail found him hard to negotiate. He was also good for a strike against the run of play (Stoneman at Brisbane, Malan at Adelaide). Gains extra for scoring useful runs throughout, including match-defining partnerships at Brisbane and Adelaide.
Josh Hazlewood: 8 - A bit underdone at the start of the series, but his spell to Root and Woakes at Adelaide effectively decided the game and he exploited an uneven surface quite magnificently to win Australia the game at Perth. Made incisions throughout.
Nathan Lyon: 8 - Has shockingly similar figures to the 2013/14 series, but I think he bowled even better this time around. He constantly constricted the scoring and menaced England's many left-handers. He wasn't as good to the right-handers, bowling a bit too short and straight. He will want to work on that against SA's many right-handers.
Jackson Bird: 1.5 - Deducted points for not playing the whole series. He probably didn't bowl as badly as his 0/108 at Melbourne suggested, but he still struggled a bit with his line-and-length on a pitch which simply didn't suit him. Might have been underdone. Still a #11 with the bat.
England
Alastair Cook: 5 - Scored a quite magnificent 244* which was redolent of his 2010/11 efforts, thus explaining his score. However, besides that he scored 132 runs at 17 and contributed nothing when the series was still alive. Got some good deliveries.
Mark Stoneman: 3 - Started the series brightly enough with two starts and two half-centuries, but faded away after the series was lost. Ultimately Carberry Mk 2.
James Vince: 3.5 - Unlucky to be dismissed at Perth and Melbourne, but too often he would flatter to deceive. He would get a start and invariably waft stupidly outside off-stump. Maybe he would fare better against an older ball down the order?
Joe Root: 6.5 - 5 50's is a sterling effort in any series. The problem is that three of those were scored when the series was dead and he was, unlike his opposite number, unable to create a defining innings. I'm not sure about his captaincy - he executed some clever plans at Brisbane, but his decision to bowl first at Adelaide came off as being overly conservative and spoke to his lack of experience. His inexperience with leg-spin also showed. He did show courage though to bat despite being hospitalised only an hour or two before.
Dawid Malan: 7.5 - Not always convincing against inswing or off-spin, but his pugnacity gave England a fighting chance of taking the initative at Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. Unlucky to be dismissed in Melbourne and again contributed in Sydney. A keeper.
Jonny Bairstow: 6.5 - Was admittedly hamstrung by batting at #7 initially but outside of his Perth century he didn't contribute that much to England's cause. Kept well though. Headbutted less well, possibly.
Moeen Ali: 2 - He was rendered impotent by Lyon, Australian pitches and assorted injuries. At home he is a genuine all-rounder but overseas he's a no-rounder. Consider dropping until the home summer.
Chris Woakes: 2.5 - Deducted points for not playing the whole series. Averaging 16 with the bat and 50 with the ball says it all, particularly when 4 wickets were taken in favourable conditions. He often struggled with Australia's short stuff.
Craig Overton: 5 - Deducted points for not playing the whole series. England's second-best bowler and a real trier with both bat and ball. Unlike many of his countrymen, he would look to make something happen by bowling slower balls/cutters. Perhaps could replace Woakes in the future?
Tom Curran: 2 - Deducted points for not playing the whole series. Tried hard, but proved to be less potent than Woakes with the ball and less wily than Overton, albeit in trying conditions. Played a couple of entertaining cameos with the bat.
Stuart Broad: 3 - Bowled well in Brisbane and Melbourne, but generally looked like Jason Gillespie circa 2005, lacking pace, zip and control. He hacked a 50 at Melbourne, but generally he was just cannon fodder with the bat.
Jake Ball: 1.5 - Deducted points for not playing the whole series. He looked almost as impotent as Bird did in Melbourne, on a friendlier pitch. He seriously struggled against the short stuff too.
Mason Crane: 2.5 - Deducted points for not playing the whole series. His figures of 1/193 do not reflect how often he troubled the batsmen. He can turn the ball some and has a decent googly. On the other hand, while Crane definitely looks the better bowler, Borthwick at least picked up some cheap wickets.
James Anderson: 7 - Bowled magnificently when conditions suited and was economical at worst, but he too often struggled to penetrate when conditions didn't suit - unless the game had already slipped away. It seems Australia's strategy was to see his bowling off and it generally worked.
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