England cricketer ratings: Jacob Bethell plays against New Zealand but worries Zak Crawley

We rate England's players out of 10 after securing a 2-1 series win but slumping to a 423-run defeat against New Zealand in the final Test at Seddon Park in Hamilton.

Zak Crawley – 3 out of 10

The opener outside England has struggled for runs throughout this series. His highest score was 21 in Hamilton but he was dismissed six times in six innings by New Zealand quick Matt Henry.

Crawley also struggled in England's previous Test tour of Pakistan and is now just over 30. The 26-year-old now has just one fifty in his last 13 innings and his position is now in jeopardy. But, Sky Sports' Michael Atherton believes England will likely remain loyal to him and he has been supported by assistant coach Paul Collingwood who said: “With Zak, we don't want him to be consistent, it's about winning moments. We know with Zak he can hurt teams when he comes him in. I'm telling you, he's ready to hurt somebody.”

Ben Duckett – 5

Duckett made a high score of 92 in the three-match series but was also dismissed for a duck in Wellington. He was unable to convert his score into a milestone after being dismissed by Tim Southee but, as usual, provided much-needed resistance at the top of the order, notably as his batting partner was struggling.

He also moved into third place on the list of leading run scorers in Tests for 2024, his 1,149 for the year trailing only India's Yashasvi Jaiswal (1,308) and Joe Root (1,502).

Jacob Bethell – 8

The Warwickshire youngster had a brilliant outing, both with bat and ball, maintaining his bid for a place in the Test side.

Bethell hit three fifties in the same number of innings and finished with three wickets to his name. In the final Hamilton Test, Bethell took 3-72, outperforming his more experienced teammates.

There was a maiden Test ton in Wellington and it was just a boundary away, but the left-hander to Southee died trying to drive.

Joe Root – 6

Root sealed his sixth Test ton of 2024 at the Basin Reserve and continued to be the glue that often held England's middle order together in seam-friendly conditions throughout the tour.

The Yorkshireman's ton was the 30th of his career, tying India's Rahul Dravid for fifth all-time among the game's leading century-makers.

As ever, Root's golden arm came when he removed Mitchell Santner on 49 in Hamilton, who had amassed New Zealand's lowest total of 453 in the second innings.

Harry Brook – 7

Brook's tour got off to a flying start when he scored a double hundred and fifty, rescuing the tourists from 43-4 in Wellington to help lead England to a series win.

He was also bowling with the new ball in Hamilton when skipper Ben Stokes suffered an injury to his left hamstring and although he did not get a wicket, it showed how flexible he was as a cricketer.

Ollie Pope – 6

Going into the series, Pope was struggling for form with his No.3 position in question after struggling in the sub-continent.

His position has been further questioned after Bethell established himself at the top of the order and with wicketkeeper Jamie Smith certain to return to the Test fold after paternity leave ends, decisions are difficult for the English selectors to do.

Pope's highest score was 77 in the first Test and he took 10 catches behind the stumps.

Ben Stokes – 7

Although it is too far to say that England might have won in Hamilton if their captain had not been injured, there is always the feeling that Stokes was not in Test matches.

He had to watch the big issue from the sidelines in the last Test. He had his heaviest workload since 2022, bowling 66.3 overs in the away series against the Black Caps – his most in a single series as captain.

This has raised concerns about whether it can fulfill its full responsibilities. He top scored with 80 in Christchurch and took seven wickets in total.

“Because he's the captain and the all-rounder, he's so important to that team, but England are deflated when Stokes can't bowl and when he misses Test matches,” said Nasser Hussain Sky Sports News.

Chris Woakes – 6

Woakes played in the first two Tests before being replaced by Matthew Potts for the series finale. The Warwickshire pacer has struggled overseas but has taken six wickets at an average of 29.16.

With Potts performing well for England and Woakes already trying to make a case for overseas inclusion, his position remains uncertain with stiff competition to get into the England set-up.

Gus Atkinson – 8

The Surrey seamer claimed the 15th hat-trick in England test history. Since taking seven wickets on his debut at Lord's, he has gone from strength to strength and taken to Test cricket like a duck to water.

He now has a 10-wicket haul, a five-wicket haul, a Test century and a hat-trick to his name and has only been playing for five months.

He finished the New Zealand tour with 12 wickets to his name and a top score of 48 in the series opener in Christchurch.

Brydon Carse – 7

Like Atkinson, Carse continued to impress the electorate. He took 10-for in Christchurch with another six scalps in Wellington and closed out with two more in Hamilton.

That takes his streak to 18 wickets, the highest of any England seamer.

Shoaib Bashir – 6

Bashir was able to lay low for much of this Test, with England's seamen putting in the hard yards.

But, when called to action in New Zealand's second innings in Hamilton, he delivered, removing captain Kane Williamson for 156 and Glenn Phillips for just three to turn things around for England.

He finished the series with seven wickets to his name from his 87 overs.

Matthew Potts – 7

Potts was called up for the final in Hamilton and made an important impact in the game. He took 4-90 in New Zealand's first innings, removing skipper Tom Latham (63), Williamson (44), Glenn Phillips (5) and Mitchell Santner (76), at an economy rate of 3.19.

He then removed Rachin Ravindra (44) in the second innings to end the series with five wickets to his name, just one scalp short of what Woakes took over two Tests.