Here's a summary of the England cricket team's performance in the Ashes series against Australia in 2025-26:
**Bowling Performance:**
* Josh Tongue was the standout bowler, taking 18 wickets at an average of 20.11.
* Ben Stokes was excellent with the ball, taking 15 wickets at an average of 25.13.
* Mark Wood and Matthew Potts were disappointing, failing to take any wickets.
**Batting Performance:**
* Joe Root had a solid series, scoring 400 runs at an average of 44.44, including two centuries.
* Jamie Smith was inconsistent, scoring 211 runs at an average of 23.44, but also getting out for duck three times.
* Ben Stokes struggled with the bat, scoring 184 runs at an average of 18.40, including one century.
* The rest of the team's batting performance was disappointing, with most players struggling to make a meaningful contribution.
**Captaincy:**
* Ben Stokes was criticized for his captaincy, feeling that he didn't provide enough support to the batsmen.
* He also made some tactical mistakes, such as not using the new ball at stages when it would have been beneficial.
**Overall Performance:**
* England lost the series 4-1, but showed signs of improvement in the second half of the tour.
* The team's bowling performance was a highlight, with Josh Tongue and Ben Stokes standing out.
* However, the batting performance was disappointing, and the team needs to work on its ability to score runs consistently.
**Player Ratings:**
* Josh Tongue: 8/10
* Ben Stokes: 6/10
* Joe Root: 7/10
* Jamie Smith: 4/10
* Mark Wood: 2/10
* Matthew Potts: 2/10
**Bowling Performance:**
* Josh Tongue was the standout bowler, taking 18 wickets at an average of 20.11.
* Ben Stokes was excellent with the ball, taking 15 wickets at an average of 25.13.
* Mark Wood and Matthew Potts were disappointing, failing to take any wickets.
**Batting Performance:**
* Joe Root had a solid series, scoring 400 runs at an average of 44.44, including two centuries.
* Jamie Smith was inconsistent, scoring 211 runs at an average of 23.44, but also getting out for duck three times.
* Ben Stokes struggled with the bat, scoring 184 runs at an average of 18.40, including one century.
* The rest of the team's batting performance was disappointing, with most players struggling to make a meaningful contribution.
**Captaincy:**
* Ben Stokes was criticized for his captaincy, feeling that he didn't provide enough support to the batsmen.
* He also made some tactical mistakes, such as not using the new ball at stages when it would have been beneficial.
**Overall Performance:**
* England lost the series 4-1, but showed signs of improvement in the second half of the tour.
* The team's bowling performance was a highlight, with Josh Tongue and Ben Stokes standing out.
* However, the batting performance was disappointing, and the team needs to work on its ability to score runs consistently.
**Player Ratings:**
* Josh Tongue: 8/10
* Ben Stokes: 6/10
* Joe Root: 7/10
* Jamie Smith: 4/10
* Mark Wood: 2/10
* Matthew Potts: 2/10
especially with ben stokes being the captain, u'd think he'd bring more stability to the team. but honestly, i think stokes' struggles at the crease made him even worse as a captain lol. josh tongue tho, what a revelation! 18 wickets in a tough series is insane 
and joe root's consistency was a silver lining in an otherwise bleak tour. we need to see more from smith too, can't keep getting out for duck 
anyway, gotta give credit where credit is due - england showed signs of improvement in the end, so that's a positive takeaway 
and didnt do enough to help out the batsmen. joe root was decent but not good enough. jamie smith is a total liability, cant even get a single ton 
and mark wood and matthew potts are just not doing it at all 
6/10 for stokes? come on, that's being generous 
England's Ashes series loss to Australia in '25-'26 was a bit of a letdown, but I think they showed some promise. Josh Tongue and Ben Stokes were the ones who really stepped up with their bowling, and even if it wasn't enough to change the outcome, at least it gave them some confidence for future tournaments 
. On the other hand, the batting lineup was a disaster... like what happened to Mark Wood and Matthew Potts? 
They should've done way better than zero wickets between 'em. Jamie Smith had flashes of brilliance but overall his consistency was off 
Still, can't deny they showed some improvement in the second half of the tour 
england was so close but australia just edged them out. i feel for stokes tho, he did amazing with the ball and captaincy but those mistakes are hard to overlook 
ben's gotta do better next time around, maybe stick to one format? 
18 wickets in a row is insane! and joe root was on fire 
400 runs is nothing to sneeze at. i'm hyped for the next series tho, bring it on! 
Josh Tongue and Ben Stokes were on fire 
️. Our batsmen are all over the place 
. And what's going on with our captain? 
. Maybe Ben Stokes just needs to take a step back from the captaincy for now and let someone else try their hand at it 
. And what's up with Mark Wood and Matthew Potts? They were just so disappointing 
.
. anyway, gotta give it to josh tongue for his solid bowling performance 
And Josh Tongue is a total boss! I'm loving the way he's taken wickets and is basically untouchable with the new ball. That guy's got skills for days! 
. Josh Tongue was a beast on the pitch, no doubt about it 
.
. They just can't seem to put together a decent partnership without someone getting out 
.
they got thrashed by australia 4-1 and it's clear that ben stokes needs to step up his game as captain 
Can't wait to see how the team bounces back for their next series