Summer ends after a wonderful season. Ben Stokes’ team pulled off a thrilling victory in the fifth Test at The Oval to tie the series at 2-2 thanks in part to a retiring Stuart Broad.
With England’s victory, the series ended 2-2, with Australia taking the Ashes back home.
But let’s start at the very end: Australia claims that England turned its players down for a drink after the Ashes match.
England claims it was open to meeting after its lengthy retiring speeches, which unquestionably exceeded Ben-Hur’s.
In 2023—a year of extreme awareness thanks to social media—this is an odd way for an Ashes series to come to a close.
A possibility for the shot existed here. Surely. They consistently get the shot. What happens on the field remains on the field, or something equally corny like “bigger than the game,” is plastered over the walls of both teams’ locker rooms. Everyone leaves with happy hearts.
The Australians eventually got tired of the situation and returned to the hotel, but this time the shot was Steve Smith peeping his head over the English rooms. Be damned, sportsmanship.
We shouldn’t be shocked, really. This series has always had a strange air about it, so it seems sense that it will end in a strange way as well.
Performance of English Players
Zak Crawley
480 runs @53.33
In a home Ashes match this century, an Englishman scored the most runs. His 189 at the Test match in Manchester is one of the best.
Ben Duckett
321 runs @35.66
Along with Crawley, they performed more than 350 runs together during the series. Excellent test at Lord’s.
Ollie Pope
90 runs @22.50
Before a shoulder injury halted his series, he did nothing noteworthy in his two Test matches.
Joe Root
412 runs @51.50
didn’t completely dominate like the 2015 Ashes but did score a century in the first Test and make three more significant contributions, including 91 in his final innings at The Oval.
Harry Brook
363 runs @40
A match-winning 75 at Headingley and four half-centuries made sure that the 24-year-old’s first Ashes series was a success.
Ben Stokes
405 runs @45, three wickets @29.66
At Lord’s and Headingley, the captain produced outstanding bat moments and did an excellent job of leading the team.
Jonny Bairstow
322 runs @40.25, 23 catches, 1 stumping
Despite beginning with weak wicketkeeping, he began taking critical catches behind the stumps and occasionally shone with the bat.
Moeen Ali
9 wickets @51.44, 180 runs @25.71
responded to his captain’s SOS to come out of retirement, and on the final day, he paid back that faith. Spectacularly.
Chris Woakes
19 wickets @18.14
He is known as “The Wizard,” and based on his performance in three Test matches, he may be considered the series’ best bowler. Phenomenal.
Mark Wood
14 wickets @20.21
Once he arrived at Headingley and gave it his all to play three consecutive games, his pace shook Australia. a significant influence.
Stuart Broad
22 wickets @28.40
The top Ashes wicket-taker for England makes a triumphant exit. It took a lot of effort to play five straight Tests at 37.
James Anderson
5 wickets @85.40
Not the series everyone anticipated for England’s top wicket-taker ever. So depressing.
Ollie Robinson
10 wickets @28.40
Before faltering in the third Test due to a back spasm, the series got off to a solid but unspectacular start in the first two Tests.
Josh Tongue
5 wickets @30.20
Excellent performance in Lord’s only Test. I was surprised that he wasn’t paired with Wood again for either of the remaining two tests.
Performances of Aussie Players:
Usman Khawaja
496 runs @49.60
The series’ most prolific run scorer and by far Australia’s greatest batter.
David Warner
285 runs @28.50
After yet another disappointing away Ashes series, the opener’s career will come to an end without an England.
Marnus Labuschagne
328 runs @32.79
Rain and the century at Old Trafford guaranteed a draw that kept the Ashes. There were many starts, but the most fizzled out.
Steve Smith
373 runs @37.29
Despite significant contributions, notably on the last day, he was unable to help his team win the away Ashes series.
Travis Head
362 runs @36.20
Tailed off after a promising start because England’s short-ball strategy to him bothered him.
Mitchell Marsh
250 runs @50, 3 wickets @50.00
In a losing effort at Headingley, he scored a century as a last-minute substitution, and he never quite reached such heights again.
Cameron Green
103 runs @20.60, 5 wickets @47
The all-rounder disappointed in all three of his Test appearances despite the high expectations placed on him.
Alex Carey
200 runs @22.22, 21 catches, 5 stumpings
Suddenly lost his bat following the Jonny Bairstow stumping incident at Lord’s, but otherwise played reasonably well.
Mitchell Starc
23 wickets @27.08
Leading wicket-taker in the series. Been expensive at times but the fast bowler has excelled after not playing opening Test.
Pat Cummins
18 wickets @37.72
better than his stats at bowling. However, at Old Trafford, the skipper displayed poor leadership and was terrible with the ball.
Josh Hazlewood
16 wickets @31.68
He has occasionally been punished, just like all of Australia’s quicks. But at 32, he occasionally appeared worn out and lanky.
Scott Boland
2 wickets @115.50
Probably now is the time to destroy that statue. From Down Under’s magnificent performance in 2021–22 to this summer’s utter rubbish.
Nathan Lyon
9 wickets @29.33
Before suffering a series-ending calf injury at Lord’s, the spinner was crucial with bat and ball in the dramatic opening Test. Australia was without him.
Todd Murphy
7 wickets @25.85
Australia’s spin replacement has come back well after mauling by Ben Stokes in Leeds, especially given negative Cummins’ lack of trust in him.
