England vs. New Zealand: Winners and Losers from ODI Series
As the dust settles on one of the most entertaining ODI series in recent memory, both England and New Zealand are quite rightly being applauded for their attacking styles of play.
However, cricket is really an individual game played in a team format, and although some players excelled, others will be fearing for their international future.
For example, the resurgent Eoin Morgan and the ever-improving Kane Williamson will be sleeping soundly after topping up their batting averages with a glut of runs.
Some of the bowlers will be having recurring nightmares of flat pitches and of their deliveries being dispatched into the stands!
So ranked in ascending order based on the player's individual achievement or lack of, here are the five biggest individual winners and losers from this action-packed ODI series.
Winner: Steven Finn
1 of 10
Matches: 5
Overs: 47
Wickets: 8
Economy rate: 6.02
While most bowlers were getting smashed around the park, Steven Finn escaped from the series with a relatively acceptable economy rate while also collecting a healthy eight wickets.
Additionally, it was a relief to see Finn bowling with confidence, aggression and pace after enduring many ups and downs over his international career so far.
To cap off an excellent week, the Middlesex man was recently named in England's pre-Ashes training squad, which will head to Spain at the end of June.
Loser: Brendon McCullum
2 of 10
Innings: 5
Runs: 101
Average: 20.20
Strike rate: 144.28
Somewhat surprisingly, given his World Cup exploits, Brendon McCullum failed to produce one of his trademark innings that normally help his side make flying starts.
While the Kiwi captain still produced the highest strike rate among all the Kiwi batsmen, he failed to score the volume of runs that he would have liked, his highest score of the series being just 39.
In fact, despite winning plaudits for his innovative and aggressive captaincy, McCullum has had a quiet tour with the bat, scoring just one half-century from 10 innings so far.
Winner: Ross Taylor
3 of 10
Innings: 5
Runs: 375
Average: 93.75
Strike rate: 95.90
Ross Taylor seemed light on confidence during the drawn Test series where he scored just 138 runs at an average of 34.50...some way short of his career mark of 44.99.
However, as soon as the ball became white, things changed dramatically, as Taylor rediscovered his power and aggression with a vengeance.
Two tons and a half-century flowed from the bat of the former Black Caps skipper who never failed to score less than 42 from his five innings.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Loser: Jason Roy
4 of 10
Innings: 5
Runs: 98
Average: 19.60
Strike rate: 89.09
Jason Roy showed glimpses of promise but failed to deliver the innings that signalled he truly belongs on the international stage.
As one half of a new-look opening partnership with Alex Hales, the 24-year-old will be disappointed with a return that produced a top score of just 39 and three scores of 12 or less.
It seems likely that Roy will get more time, but the South African-born strokemaker, so prolific for Surrey in English domestic cricket, will be desperate to contribute against Australia.
Winner: Joe Root
5 of 10
Innings: 5
Runs: 274
Average: 68.50
Strike rate: 108.30
No matter what the format of cricket, Joe Root can do no wrong at the moment, and the young Yorkshireman added another 274 runs to his sparkling portfolio.
While his strike rate wasn't quite as spectacular as some of his colleagues, Root still scored at more than a run a ball, and his presence helps to glue the middle order together.
The 24-year-old also added two more centuries to his career tally, the second of which was a masterclass in pacing an innings and underpinned England's record-breaking run chase at Trent Bridge.
Loser: Nathan McCullum
6 of 10
Matches: 2
Overs: 16
Wickets: 3
Economy rate: 9.50
England may have batted Nathan McCullum into international retirement after battering the normally miserly off-spinner during his two appearances.
While he has never been the biggest turner of the ball, McCullum, older than his brother by a year, has proved to be an effective ODI performer over the years, taking 58 wickets from 80 career appearances.
However, a wicketless return at Edgbaston followed by a three-wicket haul that cost 86 runs at The Oval, saw the 34-year-old cast aside for the rest of the series and eclipsed by Mitchell Santner.
Winner: Kane Williamson
7 of 10
Innings: 5
Runs: 396
Average: 79.20
Strike rate: 104.48
Kane Williamson's rise into the upper echelon of the world's batsmen shows no sign of abating, as he put England to the sword to score nearly 400 runs in five innings.
The prolific all-rounder registered three half-centuries and an 88-ball ton at Southampton, passing 3,000 career ODI runs in the process.
England will be glad to see the 24-year-old, who also averaged 41.24 in the Test series and possess a slightly unusual action that makes him difficult to bowl at.
Loser: Chris Jordan
8 of 10
Matches: 2
Overs: 14.1
Wickets: 2
Economy rate: 9.17
Having recently been dropped from the Test side, Chris Jordan endured a horror show at the Oval, which leaves his short-term international future in serious doubt.
As well as recording the unflattering figures of one wicket for 97 runs from nine overs—the joint-ninth-most expensive of all-time—Jordan was unable to finish the game after picking up a side strain.
With the likes of Steven Finn, Mark Wood and Ben Stokes seemingly booked in for the long haul, Jordan faces a tough battle to get back in the team after regaining his fitness.
Winner: Eoin Morgan
9 of 10
Innings: 5
Runs: 322
Average: 64.40
Strike rate: 124.80
Despite being the captain, Eoin Morgan's place in the team was in jeopardy after overseeing, along with Peter Moores, the disastrous World Cup effort that saw his team eliminated in the group stages.
However, England's premium "finisher" was back to his best here, smashing an incredible 16 sixes—the next best was seven from Alex Hales—in among his avalanche of runs.
The highlight was Morgan's 73-ball century in Nottingham. If only he could have performed similarly on cricket's biggest stage a few months earlier!
Loser: Mitchell McClenaghan
10 of 10
Matches: 4
Overs: 35
Wickets: 4
Economy rate: 8.14
Mitchell McClenaghan arrived in the UK fresh from recording figures of three for 25 to help the Mumbai Indians triumph over Chennai in the IPL final.
But the 29-year-old has been brought back down to earth with a bang after taking some frightful tap at the hands of England's resurgent batsmen.
To put it into context, based purely on McClenaghan's bowling, Eoin Morgan's men were effectively 285 for four wickets from his 35 overs, and it was no surprise that the paceman was dropped for the final game.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
