{"id":333078,"date":"2025-12-07T16:09:17","date_gmt":"2025-12-07T16:09:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/333078\/"},"modified":"2025-12-07T16:09:17","modified_gmt":"2025-12-07T16:09:17","slug":"second-test-england-player-ratings-vs-australia-jofra-archer-bowling-ben-stokes-captain-zak-crawley-harry-brook-reactions-analysis-latest-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/333078\/","title":{"rendered":"Second Test, England Player Ratings vs Australia, Jofra Archer bowling, Ben Stokes captain, Zak Crawley, Harry Brook reactions, analysis, latest news"},"content":{"rendered":"

England\u2019s hopes of an already-improbable Ashes series victory are now hanging by the thinnest of threads, after a demoralising eight-wicket loss to Australia at the Gabba<\/a> in the second Test. <\/p>\n

While the likes of Zak Crawley \u2014 and of course Joe Root \u2014 stepped up to the plate with the bat, others failed grimly. As for their bowling attack, it\u2019s hard for things to get much more demoralising<\/p>\n

Foxsports.com.au rates every English player from the second Ashes Test against Australia in Brisbane.<\/p>\n

Watch The Ashes 2025\/26 LIVE and ad-break free during play with FOX CRICKET on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1.<\/a><\/p>\n

2-NIL! Smith smokes arch rival to throw England on ropes in FIERY finish to Test<\/a><\/p>\n

SECOND TEST TALKING PTS: Aussie\u2019s new selection \u2018nightmare\u2019; sad irony as \u2018stubborn\u2019 Bazball plan fails<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

EVERY AUSSIE RATED: Hero\u2019s perfect 10, star stuns greats as big selection gamble pays off<\/a><\/p>\n

ZAK CRAWLEY \u2014 7<\/p>\n

76 and 44<\/p>\n

The Zak Crawley that England fans have been desperately waiting for on Australian soil came to life, though there will still be underlying frustrations with his mode of dismissal in the second innings. The 196cm opener dispatched Australia to all parts of the Gabba on Day 1, before an under-edge through to Alex Carey brought his swashbuckling 76 to an abrupt end. He started just as brightly the second time around, highlighted by some incredible on-the-up drives, before softly departing via a caught-and-bowled to Michael Neser. A very strong comeback after a pair in Perth, but still needs to adjust his game further in bouncier Australian conditions. <\/p>\n

BEN DUCKETT \u2014 2<\/p>\n

0 and 15<\/p>\n

After two Tests, the left-handed dynamo still hasn\u2019t got going \u2014 but it\u2019s hard to not feel a little sorry for him. A first-ball duck in the opening over of the Test was no thanks to a very good ball from Mitchell Starc, which most would have struggled to negate. He began positively on the evening of Day 3, before having a Scott Boland length ball roll under his bat. It\u2019s a tough score given his lack of \u2018luck\u2019 while batting, but his efforts shouldn\u2019t be scrutinised anywhere near as hard as other teammates.<\/p>\n

OLLIE POPE \u2014 2<\/p>\n

0 and 26<\/p>\n

A proper grim outing for England\u2019s first drop. His first innings stay lasted just three balls before chopping onto his stumps off the bowling of Mitchell Starc that left his side reeling at 2\/5. His second knock was more positive, though skiddish, under lights during the night session on Day 3, before chipping one straight back to Michael Neser. \u201cThe problem with Ollie Pope, is it (his batting) is so predictable,\u201d former England captain Michael Vaughan said on Fox Cricket. Is the member of England\u2019s top six skating on the thinnest ice heading into Adelaide.<\/p>\n

JOE ROOT \u2014 9<\/p>\n

138* and 15<\/p>\n

Make no mistake, his drought-breaking hundred on Day 1 of the Test was something to behold, and worthy of a perfect score. It was everything he and English fans have been wanting to see on Australian shores for so long, and ultimately it was borderline flawless as he negated the rival quicks at every point during the day, evening and night. Brutally, though, the timing of his second innings dismissal came as the Aussies took full control. In hindsight, he didn\u2019t need to play as a Mitchell Starc full ball that was edged through to the keeper. <\/p>\n

England’s Greatest tons up in Australia | 05:51<\/p>\n

HARRY BROOK \u2014 3<\/p>\n

31 and 15<\/p>\n

As polarising as any in England\u2019s top six so far this series, and his dismissal on Day 1 showed exactly why. The 26-year-old superstar once again failed to put his cover drive on-the-up away on a bouncy deck, and paid the ultimate price as he edged to second slip for 31. It\u2019s a dismissal that frustrated many English pundits<\/a> across the media industry, given how it was nearly identical to his wicket in the second innings in Perth. His exit on the night session of Day 3 was thanks to a Scott Boland jaffer, which not many can truly fault, as at least he was playing a measured forward defence.<\/p>\n

BEN STOKES \u2014 7<\/p>\n

19 and 50, 3\/113<\/p>\n

The England captain carried the side on his shoulders throughout almost every moment of defiance beyond their first innings with the bat \u2014 where he was unluckily run out by some Josh Inglis brilliance. As he always does, he struck with the ball at crucial times, however he did go at a serious clip like the other quicks. It was his second innings with the bat that drew the most praise individually, gritting through 152 balls before edging to Alex Carey who was up at the stumps off the bowling of Michael Neser. Questions will be raised over whether it was his captaincy or ultra-poor pace bowling that cost them in the field, but he carried his weight with the bat when not many could in the second dig. <\/p>\n

Breakthrough! Stokes takes out Marnus | 00:35<\/p>\n

JAMIE SMITH \u2014 1<\/p>\n

0 and 4, three catches<\/p>\n

A horror Test for one of England\u2019s brightest emerging stars. He was bowled through the gate by a Scott Boland seed under lights on the opening day, before critically dropping Travis Head behind the stumps early on in his 33-run cameo at the top of the order. His wayward off-drive attempt late on Day 3 was unfortunately the icing on the cake of what will be a Test to forget for the 25-year-old. 52 runs from his four innings isn\u2019t cutting it so far, particularly when compared to his counterpart Alex Carey.<\/p>\n

WILL JACKS \u2014 7<\/p>\n

19 and 41, 1\/34<\/p>\n

Batted positively across both innings, and proved to teammates alongside his captain that you can actually have success with more than just one tempo. Fought off a swarming Australian attack on Day 4 for nearly three hours, before departing for 41. Genuinely bowled well at the back end of Australia\u2019s first innings, and jagged a well-deserved wicket to finish a very long stint in the field. Deserves to keep his place in the side on more than just one front, and could\u2019ve had even more impact with the bat if he wasn\u2019t batting at eight.<\/p>\n

GUS ATKINSON \u2014 5<\/p>\n

1\/114 and 2\/37, 4 and 3<\/p>\n

Bowled without a lot of luck throughout Australia\u2019s whole first innings, before a loose shot from Alex Carey gave him his one and only pole for the Test. The right-armer still went at a tick more than four runs an over, but it wasn\u2019t reflective of his efforts, lines and lengths. Bowled very well in Australia\u2019s short second innings, snagging the wickets of Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne which shoots him into a pass mark. If English selectors do opt for a mix-up with their bowling attack, it shouldn\u2019t be Atkinson who\u2019s left out for Adelaide.<\/p>\n

Atkinson claims his first of the Innings | 00:33<\/p>\n

BRYDON CARSE \u2014 2<\/p>\n

4\/152, 0 and 7<\/p>\n

There aren\u2019t too many players who will have taken four wickets in a Test innings and been hit with a match rating of two, but Carse unfortunately fits that rare criteria in Brisbane. The right-arm seamer was as erratic as they come on Day 2 at the Gabba, with his first and second wickets coming via a very poor Travis Head shot and moment of genuine madness from Cam Green. The 152 runs Carse conceded are the most by any English seamer on Australian shores for 71 years, and while you couldn\u2019t question his effort with the ball on Day 3, the execution for the vast majority of the match just wasn\u2019t there. <\/p>\n

JOFRA ARCHER \u2014 4<\/p>\n

1\/87 and 0\/28, 38 and 5*<\/p>\n

The No.11 had his biggest impact on the match very late on Day 1, when he smashed Australia\u2019s quicks all over the Gabba to give England genuine momentum heading out into the field. From there, credit where it\u2019s due. The right-arm quick was England\u2019s most threatening before being more or less put on ice at the back end of Australia\u2019s stint with the bat. That being said, it took until Australia\u2019s second innings chase of just 46 to really crank up the pace in Brisbane. \u201cWhere was that two days ago?\u201d former Australian fast bowler Brett Lee said on Fox Cricket at the dinner break on Day 4. His match figures finish at 1\/115, and while a score of four looks slightly harsh score given his valuable runs, ultimately he just didn\u2019t take wickets. Was pummelled around the ground in his five overs in the second innings, despite his red-hot pace.<\/p>\n

Smith MONSTERS Archer in verbal battle | 01:13<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"England\u2019s hopes of an already-improbable Ashes series victory are now hanging by the thinnest of threads, after a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":333079,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[564],"tags":[18761,186185,11638,64,63,689,135990,61527,45716,186179,101243,89813,651,186175,186181,186187,186177,740,186172,185190,1208,143709,186182,158170,34688,170781,186184,186171,2057,17071,2105,24161,186186,183684,186174,120441,17066,22256,186180,186178,186183,124996,17055,31024,70420,3583,677,16228,46,701,1934,38711,85,5338,186176,44206,44867,186173,3439,20339],"class_list":{"0":"post-333078","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-cricket","8":"tag-alex-carey","9":"tag-archer-bowling","10":"tag-ashes-series","11":"tag-au","12":"tag-australia","13":"tag-australia-and-new-zealand","14":"tag-australian-shores","15":"tag-australian-soil","16":"tag-back-end","17":"tag-bouncier-australian-conditions","18":"tag-bowling-attack","19":"tag-brett-lee","20":"tag-brisbane","21":"tag-brook-reactions","22":"tag-cam-green","23":"tag-captaincy-strugglescricket","24":"tag-cover-drive-on-the-up","25":"tag-cricket","26":"tag-demoralising-eight-wicket-loss","27":"tag-dinner-break","28":"tag-england","29":"tag-england-captain","30":"tag-england-player-ratings","31":"tag-english-fans","32":"tag-english-player","33":"tag-english-pundits","34":"tag-english-seamer","35":"tag-english-selectors","36":"tag-europe","37":"tag-gareth-copley","38":"tag-getty-images-inc","39":"tag-gus-atkinson","40":"tag-incredible-on-the-up-drives","41":"tag-innings-dismissal","42":"tag-innings-stay","43":"tag-isa-guha","44":"tag-joe-root","45":"tag-josh-inglis","46":"tag-match-figures-finish","47":"tag-match-rating","48":"tag-media-industry","49":"tag-michael-neser","50":"tag-michael-vaughan","51":"tag-mitchell-starc","52":"tag-night-session","53":"tag-northern-europe","54":"tag-oceania","55":"tag-pass-mark","56":"tag-perth","57":"tag-queensland","58":"tag-scott-boland","59":"tag-series-victory","60":"tag-sports","61":"tag-the-gabba","62":"tag-thinnest-ice-heading","63":"tag-top-order","64":"tag-travis-head","65":"tag-wayward-off-drive-attempt","66":"tag-western-australia","67":"tag-zak-crawley"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/333078","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=333078"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/333078\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/333079"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=333078"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=333078"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=333078"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}