England ended their summer with a low-key rain-hampered ODI series against Ireland that provided a platform for their next generation of white-ball prospects to showcase their talent.
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England won the series 1-0 after the opener was rained out and the series finale was abandoned as the home side threatened to post a world record score.
Here’s how the 12 players used by England fared across the series:
Phil Salt: 8/10
89 runs @ 44.50; SR: 181.63
England’s power play dynamo was at his explosive best in the Bristol ODI, nailing 18 runs off the first four balls of the game to set the tone for an almighty English onslaught.
Will Jacks: 9/10
133 runs @ 66.50; SR: 122.01
Jacks top-scored in the win at Trent Bridge and was similarly destructive at the top of the order in Bristol. His dismissal in Nottingham – looking to slog sweep George Dockrell on 94 having been starved of the strike – was a good illustration of his selflessness, and how he is willing to put team goals ahead of personal milestones.
Zak Crawley: 6/10
51 runs @ 25.50; SR: 115.90
A second-baller followed by an authoritative half-century, Crawley looks to have the game to be an excellent ODI top-order player. It will be fascinating to watch who emerges at the top of the jostle for top three positions in the years that follow the 2023 World Cup. In his first series as an England captain, he handled George Scrimshaw’s nightmare start at Nottingham well.
Ben Duckett: 9/10
155 runs @ 155; SR: 122.04
Outstanding in the middle order in both games. His array of sweep shots and the accuracy with which he pierces the gaps in the deep is perhaps unrivalled in the English game. If Ben Stokes pulls up at any point in India, Duckett will surely be in pole position to take his place as the next left-handed middle order player in the pecking order. Duckett also took a pair of excellent catches at Nottingham.
Sam Hain: 8/10
106 runs @ 53; SR: 106
Hain arguably didn’t get enough credit for the way he managed the middle overs in the Nottingham ODI. As wickets fell around him – bowling all-rounder Brydon Cares joined him at the crease with as many as 15 overs remaining – Hain steadied the ship and ensured that England were still able to reach a total in excess of 330. He started slowly, sure, but that may have been down to debut nerves as much as anything. In Dawid Malan, he has the perfect role model for how an accumulator can force their way into England’s plans even in this age of top-down power hitting.
Jamie Smith: 4/10
9 (10)
Just the one outing with the bat for Smith who fell for nine in Nottingham, finding the man at long on.
Brydon Carse: 8/10
32 (30) & 1-40 (8)
A quietly excellent performance at Trent Bridge. His batting has really come on in recent years, so much so that he found himself at No. 7 ahead of Rehan Ahmed – someone touted as a future top six batter an international level. His 32 alongside Hain was important and while he only picked up the one wicket, he was the hardest England bowler to get away. A middle-overs enforcer in the mould of Liam Plunkett, he is arguably unfortunate not to find himself in England’s World Cup XV.
Rehan Ahmed: 8/10
6 (8) & 4-54 (10)
Ahmed’s most exciting white-ball performance for England so far. His careful deployment of the googly was fascinating. His wrong’un remains by far his most dangerous delivery but he used it sparingly to great effect at Trent Bridge. Despite only averaging around one googly per over, it was responsible for all four of his wickets.
Tom Hartley: 6/10
12* (9) & 0-48 (10)
A steady debut from Hartley who the Ireland batters initially found very difficult to get away.
Matt Potts: 6/10
2-47 (7)
Incisive with the new ball but also relatively expensive. The ball to dismiss Paul Stirling was an absolute peach and a pivotal moment in the game.
George Scrimshaw: 4/10
3-66 (8.4)
Scrimshaw recovered well from a nightmare start that saw him concede 35 runs off his first 11 legal deliveries. He bowled six no-balls and looked desperately short on confidence. Even after he got his run-up right and found his areas, he was down on speed. It was good to see him in the wickets after such a difficult introduction to international cricket.
Luke Wood: NA
Neither batted or bowled in the washout at Bristol.