From series-defining performances to stunning cameos and the best of a bad bunch, the 2025/26 Ashes series threw up incredibly varied outings across the 31 players involved.

Here are the grades for everyone who took the field across the five Tests.

England: Jofra Archer — B-

Jofra Archer could not see out the series.(Getty Images: Gareth Copley)

Tests: 3, Wkts: 9, Avg: 27.11, BBI: 5-53

And it all started so well.

The hopes for Jofra Archer's first tour of Australia were so high and he almost lived up to the hype … sometimes … for a bit.

His series will probably be remembered for Steve Smith "champing" him and tonking him for the winning runs at the Gabba, but he bowled some truly incisive spells.

He took just two wickets in the first innings in Perth and was once again derided for not bowling every ball at 150kp/h but he was virtually impossible to score off, with 11 runs conceded in eight overs.

Luckless in Brisbane and comfortably England's best with 5-53 and 1-20 from 12.4 overs in a tense match in Adelaide, a side strain kept him from finishing out the series but he was his team's best bowler for over half the series.

England: Gus Atkinson — C+

A hamstring injury prevented Gus Atkinson from playing the final Test.(Getty Images: Robbie Stephenson/PA Images)

Tests: 3, Wkts: 6, Avg: 47.33, BBI: 2-28

Gus Atkinson was one of the pace battery that was supposed to lead England's charge down under, but ultimately had very little impact.

He didn't embarrass himself but, aside from a few economical spells as Australia collapsed in Perth and Melbourne, was about as ineffective as anyone before missing the SCG Test with a hamstring injury.

Six wickets from 73 overs in six innings for a frontline quick in a bowler-friendly series isn't exactly a blazing tour.

England: Jacob Bethell — A-

Bethell arrived late but made an immediate impact.(Getty Images: Robbie Stephenson/PA Images)

Tests: 2, Runs: 205, Avg: 51.25, HS: 154, Wkts: 1, Avg: 68, BBI: 1-52

Only selected after the series was decided, the 22-year-old with all the hype in the world behind him came in for the final two games and proved he really should have been there all along.

He top-scored with 40 in Melbourne's successful run chase on the MCG minefield and then produced a masterclass with an unbelievably composed and stylish 154 in the second innings at the SCG, scoring his maiden first-class century under the bright lights of an Ashes series.

It was the sort of innings that makes you cast your mind forward and picture him doing the same thing in a decade's time, perhaps with the blonde locks gone and a big C next to his name on the team sheet.

Australia: Scott Boland — A

Scott Boland played all five Tests.(Getty Images: Quinn Rooney)

Tests: 5, Wkts: 20, Avg: 24.95, BBI: 4-33

After averaging over 100 against the Bazballers in England in 2023, Boland was flagged as a target for them again in this series.

Figures of 0-62 in an England innings of only 172 on day one in Perth suggested it might have been fish in this particular Barrel for the slogging, but he immediately turned it around.

With Josh Hazlewood out injured for the entire series, Boland took his chance to play five straight Tests at home for the first time in his career and was arguably Australia's best bowler through the second half of the series.

No five-wicket hauls and third place on the wickets tally keeps him from valedictorian honours, but his relentless accuracy changed the game almost every time he came into the attack.

He even contributed with the bat, adding a valuable unbeaten 21 off 72 balls to allow Australia to start bowling under lights in the day-night Test at the Gabba, and opened the batting as a night watchman in Melbourne.

England: Harry Brook — C-

Harry Brook came with hype and didn't live up to it.(Getty Images: Robbie Stephenson/PA Images)

Tests: 5, Runs: 358, Avg: 39.77, HS: 84

Harry Brook scored more runs than all bar two batters in the series so you can't say he really "failed", but he's been marked down because he's supposed to be among the best in the world.

The number two batter on the ICC Test rankings and the biggest success story of the Bazball era entered the series with a Test average of 57.55 from 30 games, featuring 10 tons, including a triple in late 2024.

He looked ready to launch as he led the way with 52 at nearly a run a ball in the first innings of the series, but otherwise his summer was mostly marked by a lot of squandered starts ended by some really poor dismissals seemingly not aware or not caring about the game situation.

His highest score of 84 didn't come until the fifth and final Test when the Ashes were safe in Australia's trophy cabinet.

He also dropped some very costly catches in Adelaide in a performance altogether unbecoming of England's vice-captain and most dynamic batter.

Australia: Alex Carey — A

Alex Carey's wicketkeeping was good enough to climb into player of the series contention.(Getty Images: Robert Cianflone)

Tests: 5, Runs: 323, Avg: 46.14, HS: 106; Dismissals: 28

They say a wicketkeeper is doing a good job if no-one notices them, so how well must someone be going if their glovework isn't just noticed but lauded by every cricket viewer in the country?

Carey didn't take too many spectacular leaping grabs, aside from a remarkable catch going back with the flight at the Gabba, but was mostly just unbelievably clean between the pegs.

He genuinely changed the game when he came up to the stumps to Michael Neser and Scott Boland in the second Test in Brisbane, stopping the Bazballers from charging to mess up the seamers' lengths.

He finished with 28 dismissals, one off the record for a series, which would have been enough, but also scored a ton and two half-centuries in the first three Tests when the series was well and truly alive.

England: Brydon Carse — B-

Brydon Carse finished as comfortably England's top wicket-taker.(Getty Images: Robert Cianflone)

Tests: 5, Wkts: 22, Avg: 30.31, BBI: 4-34

Brydon Carse bowled some miserable spells in the first two Tests, with Travis Head taking a particularly liking any time he strayed wide of the off stump.

He took some punishment and stayed too short for long stretches, which meant England wasted the new ball a few times.

However, in a series where both teams lost no fewer than three first-choice bowlers to injury, Carse ran in all day, kept his pace up and finished as comfortably England's leading wicket-taker.

He had a valuable 39 not out as England threatened to keep the series alive by pulling off a stunning run chase in the third Test in Adelaide.

Despite being derided as a 'jobs for the boys' hire thanks to his friendship with captain Ben Stokes, he played all five Tests and didn't pack it in, which is a genuine achievement among English seamers in Australia.

England: Zak Crawley — C-

Zak Crawley was incredibly on brand in the series.(Getty Images: Gareth Copley)

Tests: 5, Runs: 273, Avg: 27.30, HS: 85

Opener Zak Crawley came into the series with the potential for stunning innings' but an average of 30 from 59 Tests. He finished the series with a couple of impressive knocks and an average of 27.

Out three times in the first over of the innings, including twice in the first Test, he also peppered in his most significant contributions when the series was alive — 76 and 44 in Brisbane and a second-innings 85 to scare the hell out of Australia in Adelaide.

But ultimately some very on-brand dismissals driving on the up, five single-digit scores and no centuries means he only gets a pass mark because we're grading on a curve and his teammates were mostly worse.

Australia: Pat Cummins — B-

Pat Cummins was impressive as he played in the series-winning third Test.(Getty Images: Quinn Rooney)

Test: 1, Wkts: 6, Avg: 19.5, BBI: 3-48

Fresh from a broken back, captain Pat Cummins returned for the third Test, won the coin toss, helped his team sew up the urn and then disappeared back to the infirmary.

It was ridiculous how good he looked coming straight in for the third Test, taking trademark wickets and coming back for multiple spells during a five-day marathon.

He finished with 3-69 and 3-48 in the only Test he played, which just so happened to win his team the Ashes.

Australia: Brendan Doggett — C

Brendan Doggett fell out of favour as the series wore on.(Getty Images: Jason McCawley/Cricket Australia)

Tests: 2, Wkts: 7, Avg: 30.71, BBI: 3-51

Poor Brendan Doggett.

He's been lingering on the periphery of the Test team for years thanks to consistent Sheffield Shield performances and was finally given his chance thanks to Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood's injuries.

Famous for pitching it up and trying to swing it, Doggett was mostly used by stand-in skipper Steve Smith as an enforcer, and it earned him seven Test wickets in two games before he was dropped for Michael Neser for the rest of the series.

It wasn't always pretty, but he did what his captain asked him to, sent a few batters packing and ultimately helped his team win the Ashes.

England: Ben Duckett — D-

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA - DECEMBER 20: Ben Duckett of England leaves the field after being dismissed by Australia captain Pat Cummins during day four of the Third Test Match in the 2025-26 Ashes Series between Australia and England at Adelaide Oval on December 20, 2025 in Adelaide, Australia. (Getty Images: Gareth Copley)

Tests: 5, Runs: 202, Avg: 20.20, HS: 42

What can you say about Ben Duckett.

The opener's highest score was 42 in the final innings of the series and it was the only thing that tipped his average across the five Tests over 20.

If England had named any alternatives in the squad or had a different team philosophy he surely would have been dropped before Sydney.

But hey at least his 91.40 strike rate was the highest of any of the batters in the series.

Australia: Cameron Green — D

Cameron Green may have played himself out of the Test team this summer.(Getty Images: Graham Denholm/CA/Cricket Australia)

Tests: 5, 171 runs, Avg: 24.42, HS: 45, Wkts: 4, Avg: 70.75, BBI: 1-0

Oh Cameron. Cameron, Cameron, Cameron. What will your mother say when she sees this?

No fifties, fewer runs than Mitchell Starc, and a couple of really ugly dismissals.

A spot is about to open up at number five in Australia's batting order and you'd have thought before the series that he'd be ready to step into that void. Instead, he may have played himself out of the Test team.

If not for a couple of handy wickets every now and then he'd be down with Duckett.

Australia: Travis Head — A+

At times it looked like Travis Head was wielding two bats.(Getty Images: Morgan Hancock)

Tests: 5, Runs: 629, Avg: 62.90, HS: 170

The most prolific batter in the series by more than 200 runs and the only player to notch three centuries, all after being moved from his comfy spot in the middle order to open after just one innings.

He single-handedly crushed England's dreams of a shock win in the first Test when he knocked off 123 of the 205 runs required for victory off just 83 balls.

A massive 170 on his home deck in Adelaide and 163 in the SCG finale took his tally to 629 for the series, becoming just the fifth Australian man to reach that mark in an Ashes series.

Australia: Josh Inglis — D+

Josh Inglis's biggest contribution was a run out.(Getty Images: Robert Cianflone)

Tests: 2, Runs: 65, Avg: 21.66, HS: 32

It's probably not a good sign for a specialist batter when you're most telling contribution to the series is a run-out, but that was the case for Josh Inglis.

Named in place of the injured Usman Khawaja for the second Test and initially named ahead of him for the third, he managed a top score of 32 across three innings.

Khawaja's 82 and 40 were enough to earn him a reprieve and end Inglis's series, but he'll always have that time he ran out Ben Stokes under lights on the first night at the Gabba.

England: Will Jacks — C

Will Jacks had a mixed series after coming in for the second Test.(AP: Mark Baker)

Tests: 4, Runs: 145, Avg: 20.71, Wkts: 6, Avg: 53.66, BBI: 2-105

It's not entirely clear what Will Jacks's job was in this series.

The white-ball slogger was drafted in ahead of specialist spinner Shoaib Bashir for the second Test showed some much-needed grit with the bat at number eight in the second innings, apparently earning his spot for the rest of the series as one of the non-weak men.

He contributed with a vital 47 in the unsuccessful run chase in the third Test in Adelaide but looked every bit a part-time spinner while bowling.

Australia: Usman Khawaja — C+

Usman Khawaja looked done before Steve Smith's vertigo earned him an MCG recall.

Tests: 4, Runs: 176, Avg: 25.14, HS: 82

What a rollercoaster ride.

Injured and mocked in the first Test, injured for the second, dropped then recalled thanks to Steve Smith's vertigo on gameday for the third, scores 82 and 40 and turns 39 in that match, recalled for the fourth, announces his retirement before the fifth Test and gets a victorious farewell featuring a guard of honour on his way to the crease.

You can't say it was a roaring success, but he was one of only three Aussie bats to score more than 80 in an innings, so far from a failure.

Australia: Marnus Labuschagne — C

Marnus Labuschagne started well but faded.(Getty Images: Darrian Traynor)

Tests: 5, Runs: 259, Avg: 28.77, HS: 65

After getting dropped for Australia's mid-year series in the West Indies, Marnus Labuschagne earned his place back with significant runs to start the Sheffield Shield season.

He got caught in Travis Head's slipstream and knocked off a half-century at better than a run a ball during the victorious run chase in Perth, and followed it up with 65 in the first innings on his home deck at the Gabba, but it truly felt like he left 100 on the table when he nicked off to Ben Stokes.

He looked back to his scratchy and uncertain worst in the immediate aftermath, falling two runs short of a half-century in the first innings in Sydney after getting into an ill-advised spat with Stokes.

Ultimately, not good enough from Australia's number three.

Australia: Nathan Lyon — B-

We got a glimpse of Nathan Lyon's importance in Adelaide before he went down with a torn hamstring.(Getty Images: Gareth Copley)

Tests: 2, Wkts: 5, Avg: 31.4, BBI: 3-77

Barely required in Perth and dropped for the Gabba, Nathan Lyon was sensational as he delivered the only prolonged stretches of Test quality spin across all five Tests in the series-clinching win in Adelaide.

The wickets of Ben Duckett in the first innings and Ben Stokes in the second were particularly delightful as he finished with five wickets in the Test, including top-scorer Zak Crawley, the dangerous Harry Brook and Stokes in the threatening run chase.

It seems cruel that a hamstring injury robbed him of a chance to finish the series and at 38 years of age, could have easily ended his career.

Australia: Michael Neser — B

Neser was left out of the squad for the first Test.(Getty Images: Darrian Traynor)

Tests: 3, Wkts: 15, Avg: 19.93, BBI: 5-42

After missing out on selection in Australia's squad before the first Test, Michael Neser surely wouldn't have expected to play any part in this series.

But, with Australia opting against a spinner, he got a chance at the Gabba and even took the new ball.

After just one wicket in the first innings, the Queenslander hit back with 5-42 in the second, including a pair of caught-and-bowled dismissals, to usurp Brendan Doggett as the back-up seamer to finish the series.

Four-wicket hauls in the first innings at Melbourne and Sydney left him with 15 wickets from three games — six more than Jofra Archer in the same span.

England: Ollie Pope — D-

Ollie Pope was the only England batter axed in a tough series.(Getty Images: Santanu Banik/MB Media)

Tests: 3, Runs: 125, Avg: 20.83, HS: 46

Under pressure at number three coming into the series, things only got worse when the games began.

The innings' were scratchy, the dismissals were Bazball at its most hideous, and his replacement was irresistible.

Since Jacob Bethell has replaced him in the fourth Test, it's not immediately clear how the former vice-captain gets back into the side.

England: Matthew Potts — D

Matthew Potts came in for the final Test and did not impress.(Getty Images: Philip Brown)

Tests: 1, Wkts: 0, Avg: NA, BBI: 0-141

England's bowling attack was pilloried for much of the series and Matthew Potts was one of the names thrown up as a possible replacement for some time.

Once Mark Wood, Jofra Archer and Gus Atkinson were out injured, selectors finally turned to him for the fifth Test and he was utterly demolished.

After 0-141 after opening the bowling in the first innings, captain Ben Stokes chose not to bowl him at all in the second.

Red ink with the bat though, 1 and 18 not out in two somewhat significant knocks.

Australia: Jhye Richardson — C

Jhye Richardson played only one Test.(Getty Images: Gareth Copley)

Tests: 1, Wkts: 2, Avg: 15, BBI: 2-22

Australian selectors recalled Jhye Richardson the moment his shoddy shoulders came good for longer than a day.

Back for his first Test in four years, the injuries and surgeries have taken a clear toll as his pace was down in the low 130s compared to the 145kp/h he was bowling back in 2021.

On a bowler-friendly pitch in Melbourne, he went wicketless in the first innings but did remove Joe Root (and Brydon Carse) in the second before being dropped for Beau Webster in Sydney.

England: Joe Root — A-

Joe Root broke his ton duck in Australia with two impressive knocks.(Getty Images: Philip Brown)

Tests: 5, Runs: 400, Avg: 44.44, HS: 160

Joe Root arrived in Australia in November without a century or a victory in three previous tours.

He ticked off both with 138* at the Gabba and 160 in the first dig at the SCG, and a victory in the two-day debacle at the MCG.

Before any English fans get on my case for marking too harshly — "What's that minus doing there?!" — he failed to get past 19 in seven of his 10 innings and had two ducks. It wasn't exactly a perfect tour.

England: Jamie Smith — D

Jamie Smith's batting and wicketkeeping underwhelmed.(Getty Images: Gareth Copley)

Tests: 5, Runs: 211, Avg: 23.44, HS: 60; Dismissals: 15

Jamie Smith doesn't keep wickets for his county Surrey back in England, so he's been picked for England based mostly on his batting.

His efforts with the stick, including an unbeaten 184  against India in July, had him tagged as a dangerman in the batting line-up but it never eventuated.

The best innings of his series, a 60 in the Adelaide run chase, ended with one of the worst dismissals of the series and his second-highest dig of 42 in the first innings in the Sydney finale was almost certainly the worst as he handed Marnus Labuschagne a scalp.

There were dropped catches and no chat behind the stumps in an ultimately miserable stretch of five Tests.

Australia: Steve Smith — B-

Steve Smith did not notch a ton until the last game.(Getty Images: Darrian Traynor)

Tests: 4, Runs: 286, Avg: 57.2, HS: 138

Coming into the SCG Test, Steve Smith had just 136 runs from six innings in the series, which was the worst among any batter aside from the dropped Josh Inglis and Ollie Pope.

In a matter of hours, he leapt into the top six thanks to 138 for his lone century of the series and ultimately finished fifth overall with over half of his 286 runs from four Tests coming in the final dead rubber.

Three unbeaten knocks also left him with the second-best average of the series at 57.20, and he stepped in as captain in Pat Cummins's absence for four of five games.

Australia: Mitchell Starc — A

Starc was the consensus player of the series after two Tests.(Getty Images: Chris Hyde)

Tests: 5, Wkts: 31, Avg: 19.93, BBI: 7-58; Runs: 156, Avg: 26, HS: 77

Mitchell Starc was always going to take some catching for player of the series after shooting out of the gates with 18 wickets in the first two games.

He bowled some sensational spells and set the tone with match-winning performances in Perth and Brisbane, before easing off a little as the series wore on.

Remarkably, he took wickets in every innings and only in the wild MCG run chase did his economy rate tip over five an over.

Without Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins, Starc stood tallest and did as much as anyone to win the series for his country.

England: Ben Stokes — C-

Ben Stokes had a tough time in Australia.(Getty Images: Cameron Spencer)

Tests: 5, Runs: 184, Avg: 18.4, HS: 83; Wkts: 15, Avg: 25.13, BBI: 5-23

Australia has so many scars from previous Ben Stokes Ashes outings but it never really eventuated this time around.

He made just two telling contributions with the bat — 50 in Brisbane and 83 in Adelaide — but otherwise failed to reach 20.

His captaincy left a lot to be desired too, with some ordinary decisions around bowling changes and an apparent self-led departure and derision from the philosophy that governed the team for the past four years.

After years of slogging their way out of trouble, he decided to dig in for a 50 in the second innings at the Gabba and then implied a number of them were "weak men" for taking the easy way out. In his defence, England played its best cricket after that point, but it did seem a bizarre mid-series departure.

Stokes finished third on England's wickets tally with 15 and was consistently the tourists' most accurate bowler.

England: Josh Tongue — B+

Josh Tongue was another late call-up who proved he should have been there all along.(Getty Images: Cameron Spencer)

Tests: 3, Wkts: 18, Avg: 20.11, BBI: 5-45

Like Jacob Bethell, Josh Tongue was one of those late selections that earned England a tick, but became frustrating by its absence earlier in the series.

After two Tests of England's seamers being cut more than a sheet of A1 paper in the House of Flying Daggers, Tongue arrives in Adelaide and said 'hey lads, have you thought about pitching in the batters' half of the strip?'. And sure enough the wickets flowed.

Five in Adelaide, seven in Melbourne and six more in Sydney as he finished the series as one half of the opening bowling attack and England's second most prolific wicket taker from just six innings.

He also has the fun record of having dismissed Steve Smith four times in three Tests against him, albeit twice once the Aussie star was already in triple digits.

Australia: Jake Weatherald — C-

Jake Weatherald had a couple of useful contributions but was figured out quickly.(Getty Images: Robert Cianflone)

Tests: 5, Runs: 201, HS: 72, Avg: 22.33

Jake Weatherald's Test career started with him flat on his face, out LBW and in the sheds for a two-ball duck in Perth.

He followed up with a solid 23 in the winning run chase and was sensational as he plundered some abysmal bowling for 72 in the first innings at the Gabba, but it turned ugly in a hurry.

The exaggerated crouched position he assumes as the bowler approaches almost immediately turned from quirk to target as bowlers became intent on blowing his front pad off.

Short balls at his body also became a problem as he had to rise to meet them and ended up cramped and hitting balls high into the air behind square leg.

Outside of that impressive 72, he averaged 16 for the series with his next best score a 34 in the final innings of the series.

After briefly looking like an answer to Australia's opening woes, it's now debatable if he'll even be in the team the next time Australia's Test side convenes.

England: Mark Wood — C-

Mark Wood was injured when he arrived.(Getty Images: Gareth Copley)

Tests: 1, Wkts: 0, Avg: NA, BBI: 0-21

The rapid pace of Mark Wood was a major contributor to Australia being blown away for just 132 on the first day of the series and England fans started dreaming of a summer where the Poms actually outpaced the Aussies.

A day later Travis Head had belted Australia to a 1-0 lead and before the next Test, Wood was on a plane home after succumbing to the injuries he carried into the series.

He also didn't take a single wicket in the two brief innings he bowled, but boy was he fast.

Australia: Beau Webster — B+

Beau Webster made major contributions with bat and ball in the fifth Test.(Getty Images: Gareth Copley)

Tests: 1, Runs: 71, Avg: NA, HS: 71*; Wkts: 3, Avg: 28, BBI: 3-64

The Slug from Snug just always delivers.

After a decade in Sheffield Shield Beau Webster top-scored in the first innings of his Test debut last summer and hit the series-winning runs in the final Test.

Having being harshly left out of the first four Tests while fellow all-rounder Cameron Green battled, Webster was finally added to the side for a second straight SCG finale and once again looked at home straight away.

It felt like he was denied a maiden Test ton in the first dig only by running out of partners, so he simply followed it up with three vital wickets bowling his off-spinners in a true all-rounder's performance.

If selectors were hoping he'd be easy to leave out next time, they didn't get their wish.