New Zealand defeated England 2-1 in the three-Test series, coming from behind after losing the first Test. Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, and Nathan Smith were the standout players for the visitors, while Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer shone for England despite the series loss.
England Player Ratings
Ben Stokes: 57 runs at 14.3; seven wickets at 21.9
Stokes retired when he was England's best bowler and captain, but acknowledged that the air went out of the balloon quickly. He bowled only seven overs on the unsatisfactory Lord's pitch but delivered jaffa after jaffa at Trent Bridge, deserving more wickets. His captaincy, despite a chaotic denouement in Nottingham, has been about instilling belief. If his own belief is wavering, it might be time to go. Grade B-.
Ben Duckett: 246 runs at 41.0; two catches
Duckett looked at ease at Trent Bridge, playing his natural game and scoring England's only century of the series. He didn't expose Joe Root to the new ball but didn't push on often enough. Grade B.
Emilio Gay: 139 runs at 23.2; six catches
Gay's fielding lifted the standard after the Ashes debacle. He looked unflustered at the crease with a lovely cover drive, but needs a score to hold his place for South Africa. Grade B-.
Jacob Bethell: 103 runs at 17.2; four wickets at 23.3; five catches
Bethell's attacking strokes are reminiscent of David Gower, but he doesn't get into that zone often enough. He has passed 40 only twice in his past 12 innings, which is unsustainable for a No. 3. He chipped in with handy wickets and caught well. Grade C.
Joe Root: 171 runs at 28.5; one wicket at 44.0; two catches
Root had two poor matches with the bat and a shocker as captain. He can expect his front pad to be targeted until he solves the lbw problem. Grade C.
Harry Brook: 217 runs at 36.2; no wicket; six catches
Brook's wildly attacking approach needs balance. He leaves too many runs on the field, and whether he will leave matches and series on the field is now debatable. Grade B-.
Jamie Smith: 101 runs at 25.3; seven catches
Smith showed unshowy competence behind the stumps with rare errors. He found form with the bat but ran out Joe Root. In retrospect, paternity leave might have been wiser. Grade C-.
James Rew: 39 runs at 19.5; three catches
Rew looked naive and nervous on debut, frenetic with the bat and grabby with the gloves. He will come back better. Grade C-.
Jordan Cox: 52 runs at 26.0; one catch
Cox got his chance and showed extra time at the crease, indicating class for future returns. Grade B-.
Gus Atkinson: 60 runs at 15; 10 wickets at 16.8
Atkinson is a very fine bowler, disciplined in lines and lengths. If only he had convinced Stokes to leave the rugby players. Grade B+.
Ollie Robinson: 30 runs at 15.0; seven wickets at 11.0
Robinson was pure class when on the field, with three wickets in his first over at Lord's. He would play more if substitutes were allowed. Grade A-.
Jofra Archer: 25 runs at 6.25; 11 wickets at 22.8
Archer hits batters hard and is difficult to play against. With better field support and if he had played at Lord's, his figures would be more impressive. Grade A-.
Matthew Fisher: 50 runs at 50.0; five wickets at 24.0
Fisher took wickets on his home ground but no one clamoured for his retention. Grade B+.
Josh Tongue: 20 runs at 4.0; eight wickets at 49.9; one catch
Tongue's release point allows him to arrow the ball, but wickets didn't come. Figures of 3 for 161 and 0 for 150 will lose more matches than win. Grade C.
Sonny Baker: four runs at 4.0; three wickets at 53.7
Baker looks like a 17-year-old promoted to the firsts after a few friendlies. He needs 9,900 more hours. Grade D.
Shoaib Bashir: 14 runs at 14.0; three wickets at 49.0; one catch
Bashir can get good batters out but his economy rate of four an over is high. His future under a new captain is uncertain. Grade C-.
New Zealand Player Ratings
Tom Latham: 189 runs at 31.5; three catches
Latham won the toss in the decider and helped put on 319 for the first wicket. He worked effectively off the field to deal with the shock retirement and injuries. Grade A-.
Devon Conway: 224 runs at 37.3
Conway delivered a first-innings 200 in the deciding Test. His experience added weight to a balanced batting unit. Grade B.
Kane Williamson: 18 runs at 9.0; two catches
Williamson backed into retirement after two failures on a pitch unworthy of his talent. He has been an exemplar of grace and style. Grade C-.
Henry Nicholls: 197 runs at 49.3
Nicholls stepped into No. 3 after Williamson's retirement and scored a second-innings 121 that took the game away from England. He also ran out Root. Grade A-.
Rachin Ravindra: 218 runs at 36.3; no wicket; one catch
Ravindra was inept in the field but improved steadily, showing class in a brilliant 96 in the second innings of the Third Test. Grade B+.
Daryl Mitchell: 235 runs at 47.0; nine catches
Mitchell improved over the series, finding a technique that worked on spicy pitches. At Trent Bridge, he arrived with the team three down and left undefeated on 100, with the lead 372. Grade A.
Tom Blundell: 123 runs at 20.5; nine catches
Blundell's tactic of standing up to bowling regardless of pace discombobulated England. He didn't score as many runs but the threat paralysed England. Grade A-.
Glenn Phillips: 181 runs at 60.3; two catches
Phillips worked out a way to score runs on the Lord's minefield and at The Oval. His excellence with the bat meant he didn't need to bowl. Grade A.
Mitchell Santner: four runs at 2.0; two wickets at 56.5; one catch
Santner looked rusty in the Third Test but pulled his weight in a threadbare attack. Grade B-.
Nathan Smith: 68 runs at 11.3; 16 wickets at 23.0; three catches
Smith was a revelation: quicker than expected, with the nous to hit the right spot. He was the standout player for his team. Grade A.
Kyle Jamieson: 91 runs at 30.3; 10 wickets at 24.2; two catches
Jamieson worked out a way to make runs and hit the deck hard, causing batters problems. Grade A-.
Matt Henry: six runs at 1.5; 12 wickets at 13.3; one catch
Henry was hors de combat at Lord's but showed class at The Oval, bowling like a grandmaster. He is a rebuke to those who say bowlers can't take wickets at 80-84mph. Grade A.
Zak Foulkes: six runs at 6.0; six wickets at 14.5
Foulkes stepped in as a concussion substitute and picked up Stokes and Brook twice each. Grade A-.
Will O'Rourke: 20 runs at 5.0; 10 wickets at 25.6
O'Rourke's height and pace will trouble batters for years to come. Grade B+.
Blair Tickner: four runs at no average; no wicket
Tickner showed bravery after a concussive blow but was wisely withdrawn. Grade N/A.
Ben Sears: 19 runs at 19.0; one wicket at 85.0
Sears got Duckett with a brute of a lifter and showed fight to get Mitchell through to his century. Grade C.
