New Zealand couldn’t repeat their success from the 2021 tour in England this time, losing 3-0 to leave their World Test Championship cycle in further disarray. Here are player ratings from the series whitewash:
Will Young: 4/10
3 Tests, 133 runs @ 22.16, 1 50, HS: 56
It wasn’t really a series to remember for openers from either side. Young began with a pair of single-digit scores but found his rhythm in Nottingham with 47 & 50. At Leeds, he couldn’t press on to a substantial score, making it an underwhelming series overall.
Tom Latham: 4/10
3 Tests, 121 runs @ 20.16, 1 50, HS: 76
Ever since his 252 against Bangladesh in January, Latham’s run column has dried up considerably. In England, three out of his six scores were in single digits, and it wasn’t until the last innings of the series that he made a notable contribution. All in all, a forgettable series.
Kane Williamson: 3/10
2 Tests, 96 runs @ 24.00, HS: 48
Williamson’s return to the Test setup didn’t quite go to plan: he missed the second game due after testing positive for Covid-19, and was at the helm of the team in the other two defeats. There was no standout innings either, and a best of 48 from four gigs meant that Williamson remained a silent component in the series loss. New Zealand got their selections wrong, too – most notably that of Michael Bracewell as a frontline spinner at Headingley.
Devon Conway: 5/10
3 Tests, 151 runs @ 25.16, 1 50, HS: 52
His first visit to England as an international cricketer last year brought about success, but he couldn’t match those standards this time, mustering just the one 50-plus score. After scores of 46 & 52 in Nottingham, Conway returrned with 26 & 11 in the final Test to cap off an underwhelming trip.
Daryl Mitchell: 9/10
3 Tests, 538 runs @ 107.60, 3 100s, 2 50s, HS: 190
New Zealand’s undisputed star of the trip, Mitchell turned a new leaf in his career with a run-filled tour, ending with the most runs from either side. A constant thorn in England’s side, he scored a hundred in each of three Tests, and a fifty in two of his other three innings. A near flawless tour.
Tom Blundell: 8/10
3 Tests, 383 runs @ 76.60, 1 100, 3 50s, HS: 106
Blundell gave Mitchell able company throughout the trip, admirably rising to the task when some of the other established faces failed around him. New Zealand’s second-highest run-scorer, he began with a 96 at Lord’s, before scoring a fine century in Nottingham to put the tourists in the driver’s seat. In Leeds, a couple of fifties rounded off a standout performance.
Colin de Grandhomme: 6/10
1 Test, 42 runs @ 42.00, HS: 42*; 1 wicket @ 27.00, BBI: 1-24
A brief cameo at Lord’s is all that de Grandhomme could offer, before a heel injury ruled him out of the series. He captured Ben Stokes’ wicket at a crucial juncture, only for a no-ball to rule it out. An unbeaten 42 in New Zealand’s 132-run total showed what he could offer down the order, before the injury surfaced.
Kyle Jamieson: 6/10
2 Tests, 6 wickets @ 27.50, BBI: 4-79
The towering quick hasn’t quite managed to continue to the extraordinary start he made to his Test career but continued to put on a fine show at Lord’s. A repeat at Nottingham couldn’t materialise, after a wicketless showing in the first innings was followed by a back injury that ruled him out the remainder of the tour.
Michael Bracewell: 3/10
2 Tests, 5 wickets @ 57.00, BBI: 3-62
Replacing Ajaz Patel for the final two Tests, Bracewell’s off-spin fell flat, leaking runs at 5.97 an over. With the bat, Bracewell proved to be a handy striker down the order, coming close to what would have been his maiden fifty in his debut innings.
Tim Southee: 4/10
3 Tests, 9 wickets @ 59.00, BBI: 4-55
Over his career, Southee has generally fared decently in England but he couldn’t quite create the impact this time. He began with a four-wicket haul at Lord’s, but his numbers tailed off thereafter, with just five wickets in as many innings. His economy rate of 4.32 runs per over was a fair indication of how England’s batters attacked him.
Neil Wagner: 5/10
1 Test, 2 wickets @ 54.00, BBI: 2-75
Just the one Test for Wagner, whose only highlight of the series ended up being the scalps of Ben Stokes and Foakes in his first over of the Leeds Test. Joe Root’s brazen scoop off him highlighted the level England’s batters were operating on.
Trent Boult: 8/10
3 Tests, 16 wickets @ 28.93, BBI: 5-106
A standout performer for New Zealand amid the ruins. Boult operated at his best through the series, especially with the new ball in hand, ending with the most wickets for either side. Often, though, he was short of support from the other end, but continued to fight solo and lead the attack well.
Ajaz Patel: 3/10
1 Test, 0 wicket @ NA, BBI: 0-22
A mysteriously short-lived series for the left-arm spinner, who appeared in only one game, and sent down only two overs. He was missed on a turning track at Headingley.
