2019 is the first year since 1999 that England have gone an entire calendar year without a multi-game Test series win. England began 2019 with a 2-1 defeat to West Indies, a side currently eighth in the ICC Test rankings, followed it with a victory at Lord’s over Ireland after being bundled out for 85 on the first day, failed to beat Australia at home for the first time in 18 years, lost 1-0 away to New Zealand and lost the first Test of the series in South Africa to a team with two debutants, that had lost their last five Tests and had gone 11 months without a win.

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On a number of metrics, 2019 was the worst calendar year for England in some time. Prior to this year, England had been bowled out for under 100 just five times this century. In 2019 alone, they were bowled under 100 on three separate occasions – against West Indies in Bridgetown, against Ireland at Lord’s and at Headingley in the Ashes. 1994 is the only other year in England’s history when they were bowled out for a double-figure score three times in a calendar year.

Further highlighting England’s woes with the bat, Ben Stokes is the only English batsman to average over 40 in Test cricket in 2019. Only once, in 2013, has this happened this century.

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Overall, England drew two, won four and lost six of their 12 Tests in 2019. Their win/loss ratio of 0.667 is their second lowest this century and only in 2001 have England lost more than half of the matches they contested, as they did in 2019. England’s win percentage of 33.33 is the lowest it’s been in a calendar year since 2007, when England won three, lost three and drew five of their 11 Tests that year.

For all of the success of England’s ODI team in 2019, it has been a year to forget for their Test side.