Last Updated on 5 years by Charbel Coorey

CWC 2019 Final Player Ratings: England v New Zealand

It has been a while since I have embarked on a Player Ratings journey. It is a very fitting time to make a comeback, after one of the all-time great matches that made sleep a very distant second-most priority.

For my roundup of the Final, check out my 5 key talking points. The link will also be at the end of the article, which explores the ICC’s beautiful (not) rules, Ben Stokes’ brilliance and how bowlers had a big say in this World Cup.

For now, it’s time to rate each player in the World Cup Final out of 10. For those who have seen my player ratings before, this is a light-hearted review of the action. Do leave a comment no matter if you agree or disagree with the ratings!

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England:

Jonny Bairstow: Had England lost, what would Jonny have said about the pitch? In all seriousness, Bairstow, after surviving a number of close calls early, looked good to go bigger. Also, his fielding on the boundary had the English commentators beside themselves, which is fair enough considering how amazing he has been. 6

Jason Roy: Kevin Pietersen, who said England would win this match easy, would like to see Jason Roy play in the Ashes. Given the way Roy plays the moving ball, Australia might look to employ KP as their director of cricket. Roy survived a very close LBW shout first ball, and to be fair to Marais Erasmus, he may have been afraid of Roy’s reaction. 3

Joe Root: A tough 7 off 30 that may have seen the largest number of cricket fans switch over to a Wimbledon Final. Will have to check the numbers. Ugly hack and drive reflective of an innings not worthy of Root’s ability. 2

Eoin Morgan: KP might not be right about Roy in the Test side, but he is right about Morgan against the short ball. However, skipper Morgan should be praised for what he has helped England achieve over the past four years. 5

Ben Stokes: Deserved man of the match. New Zealand-born Ben Stokes denies New Zealand their moment of glory. One of the great World Cup Final performances. More here. 10

Jos Buttler: Great time to find form again after an under-par last few games. Was victim of the inevitable twist and turn that a game like this was always going to have. Also held his nerve to execute the run out that delivered World Cup glory. 8

Chris Woakes: Bowled magnificently up front yet again. Consistent performer for England. 9

Jofra Archer: Nostradamus. You could look at this man’s Twitter from six years ago and find any tweet that suits the 2019 World Cup perfectly. Who said Twitter engagement lasts for two days at most? In regards to this match, he just about held his nerve in the Super Over to get England home. A great tournament – deserving of a place in the team of the tournament. 7

Liam Plunkett: Every England fan would want nothing more than Plunkett cross-seam in the middle overs pumped into their veins. An outstanding performance, including the crucial wicket of Kane Williamson in a spell that read 3/42. He started off as New Zealand’s best player with poor bowling, and then finished as one of England’s best. Certainly justified his selection. 9

Adil Rashid: There was no Marcus Stoinis to completely fool with a googly. However, Rashid was mighty steady, conceding just one boundary in his eight overs that went for 39. 6

Mark Wood: Was generating some beautiful shape early in his spell, but bowled too short. The template was set by Plunkett, and Wood could have been more damaging than he was. 6

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New Zealand:

Martin Guptill: Wrong time and place for Guptill to honour Shane Watson. His bad review up top cost Ross Taylor, who was unable to review an ordinary decision by umpire Erasmus. Guptill then nearly got New Zealand home with his speed in the Super Over, but fell agonisingly short. Overall, a very disappointing tournament. 3

Henry Nicholls: Ensured no immediate damage was done after Guptill’s early dismissal, but would have liked to go on. Solid half century. 7

Kane Williamson: Player of the tournament, and couldn’t even believe it. Williamson’s wicket for 30 was a huge one, and his captaincy was excellent yet again. He has won many more admirers with his humility and leadership. 7

Ross Taylor: Guptill decided to honour Shane Watson, but we must credit Ross Taylor for not honouring Jason Roy after copping a poor LBW decision. 5

Tom Latham: Was badly out of form earlier in the tournament, but scored vital runs in this match along with more dismissals behind the stumps. Solid outing. 7

Jimmy Neesham: Whether it’s a tweet, wicket, runs or great catch, the Neesh can make anyone fall in love with him. His shot in New Zealand’s innings was a moment of regret, but his bowling and Super Over batting was reflective of the excellent tournament he had. Clearly distraught, the Neesh should be proud of his effort. 7

Colin de Grandhomme: Could barely lay bat on ball, but then ensured England were in the same predicament when he bowled. Absolutely brilliant spell of 1/25. 8

Mitchell Santner: Mitchell Santner has the unique opportunity to tell his grandkids one day that he ducked a bouncer off the final ball of an ODI innings. Wasn’t needed much with the ball, but picked up a crucial run out in the final over. 4

Matt Henry: Class. Bowled a spell where everyone was left to scratch their heads as to how he didn’t get more wickets. His performances in the last two games were exactly why New Zealand have preferred him over Tim Southee in recent times. 8

Lockie Ferguson: Outstanding. Three wickets for 50, never letting England settle. He might have been the better option for the Super Over, which is testament to the brilliant tournament he had. 9

Trent Boult: Oh, Trent. His moment in the penultimate over of the match was the equivalent of putting your hand too close to a fire and then getting burnt. It can make for magnificent meme content, but it was a crucial moment in the match. His final two overs (50th and Super Over) could have been better, but his two clutch run outs at the bowlers’ end give his score some respectability. 4

Special mentions

ICC: Great rule to punish the fielding team for trying to inflict a run out, where the batsman gets in the way. Also, a boundary on its own is more important than four singles. 0

Kumar Dharmasena: The third umpire always sits up, ready to get involved in the game whenever Kumar makes a decision (or non-call). 5

Marais Erasmus: Smart man. Didn’t give a very good looking LBW against Jason Roy. Also, the Ross Taylor decision was very disappointing. 3

So, there are the player ratings from a memorable Final.

Congratulations to England on winning the World Cup. As an Aussie, I must admit they have been the best side over the past four years, and deserve reward for their hard work. For New Zealand, here is hoping they will enjoy great success in the future after such heartbreak.

This was one for the ages.

Also read: Five key talking points from the greatest ODI ever

Download: Making cricket an interactive experience! Discover Harrison Cricket Apps ODI version. For full screenshots, click here.

Thanks for reading!