ENGLAND TEST TRACKER: Who suffered during the Ashes and what does the winter hold?

The Cricketer ranks the top 25 players eligible for England based on the Ashes, the County Championship and the T20 Blast. It is always right.

1 (2) - Ben Stokes: Cemented his status as the best Test allrounder in the world and England's most important player with one of the finest centuries ever scored by an England player at Headingley. Deserves a rest before South Africa.

2 (1) - Joe Root: Captaincy came under pressure during the Ashes but restored his reputation by galvanising England's fighting spirit and with victory at The Oval to square the Ashes series. Batting at three remains a major question.

3 (9) - Jofra Archer: Has emerged as the figure for the next generation. Utterly superb during his maiden Test series, with his duel with Steve Smith among the highlights of the summer. Will be the linchpin of the attack for the next decade.

4 (15) - Rory Burns: England's second highest run-scorer from the Ashes and the answer (for now) at the top of the order. Might be suspect against anything banged in short but found a way to score runs against a potent attack. Has a home Ashes century which even Sir Alastair Cook cannot boast.

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5 (6) - Stuart Broad: Kept in cotton wool this summer and England benefitted as the Nottinghamshire man returned to his absolute best. Might have ended David Warner's Test career after dismissing the opening seven times across the summer. Career given a new lease of life.

6 (7) - Jos Buttler: An uncharacteristically poor summer continued into the Ashes but a score of substance at The Oval offered a timely reminder as to his counterattacking skills. Debate continues to rage over his best position in the batting order. ODI captaincy will also have to wait, for now.

7 (13) - Jack Leach: Little doubt after this summer he is England's leading front-line spinner. Replaced Moeen Ali after the first Test and though he didn't end with a hatful of wickets did enough to ensure his place is safe. Will have glasses to clean for life after sponsors Specsavers promised him a lifetime supply.

8 (4) - Chris Woakes: Was short of fitness prior to the start of the summer and though his knee problem did not flare up during the World Cup, the lack of fitness caught up with him during the Ashes. He was dropped for Old Trafford but returned immediately, though still looked short of his best with the ball not swinging.

9 (3) - James Anderson: Injury restricted him to just four overs of bowling in the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston. What could have been his international send-off turned into a nightmare. Will surely not want his career to end under such a cloud with the tour of South Africa surely his target.

^{Jason Roy's Test career got off to the worst possible start}

10 (17) - Joe Denly: Produced three half-centuries and provided more solidity at the top of the order than England have had in many years. Has not been awarded a red-ball deal, an indication where the ECB see his Test career, but a role going forward is still likely.

11 (-) - Ollie Pope: A second first class double century against Hampshire saw Pope briefly called into the England squad before he returned to Surrey. Seems ready for a second bite of the international cherry and conditions this winter should assist him.

12 (5) - Jonny Bairstow: Extremely vulnerable heading into the winter. Failed to convince with the bat - the straight ball continues to expire a genuine technical flaw - while his displays with the gloves are varied. With such talent to draw on in the Championship, he won't be indulged for long.

13 (14) - Sam Curran: Spent much of the Ashes with a watching brief until finally being called into the team for The Oval Test. Offered more evidence of his golden arm with wickets in successive deliveries and remains confident with the bat. Whether there is space for a second proper allrounder remains to be seen.

14 (10) - Dom Sibley: Rory Burns' opening partner in waiting. More runs in Division One and more balls faced in the County Championship than any other player. The Warwickshire man has been imperious this season and a double hundred and a century in successive innings against Nottinghamshire merely cemented that. 

^{Jonny Bairstow and Jack Leach had contrasting summers}

15 (19) - Ben Foakes: It has been far from a vintage campaign for the Surrey 'keeper but he is a highlight reel behind the stumps. And with a Test average of over 40, surely his recall is only a matter of time, given Bairstow's issues.

16 (12) - Moeen Ali: Has asked for some time away from the the red-ball game after a harrowing summer. Was dropped during the World Cup and then after one Ashes Test following a poor game at Edgbaston. If he sits out the whole of the winter, it is difficult to see how he gets back in.

17 (11) - Jason Roy: Failed to take his chance, albeit under immense pressure, and his brief foray into the Test arena might already be over. Couldn't resist pushing at the ball outside off-stump and even when he tried to display discipline he looked awkward and nervous.

18 (-) - Craig Overton: A surprising inclusion in the team for the Old Trafford Test and produced a solid, yet unspectacular display. Averages below 18 in the Championship this season and with the old guard likely to be broken up soon he will get further opportunities.

19 (22) - Dawid Malan: Four centuries for a Middlesex side who have otherwise struggled represents a good return for Malan. Surprising he has not been recalled yet but this winter might provide the perfect opportunity. Possesses fortitude which England badly need in the middle order.

20 (24) - Lewis Gregory: Over fifty wickets and nearly 500 runs for Somerset this season means that while his inclusion at Test level will primarily be with the ball, he is certainly ready. 

^{James Vince has not played a Test for England since the tour of New Zealand}

21 (-) - Jamie Porter: Though he was called up last year, the Essex seamer's Test debut is well overdue after several seasons of consistent brilliance. Might need to remain patient but his chance will come.

22 (21) - Sam Northeast: Whether his determination and sound defensive game makes him an attractive proposition in the eyes of the ECB or not remains to be seen. But in a format which makes a mockery of players who push at the both with reckless abandon, Northeast could be the answer to England's problems.

23 (-) - Sam Hain: One for the future. Has made the Warwickshire middle-order his own at a tender age and has already been recognised by the England Lions. If Stokes moves up the order then a place could well open up in the coming month. So far, so good, for Hain.

24 (25) - James Vince: Hello again. Eighteen months have passed since his latest Test outing yet he remains very much in the picture. Just when you start to feel Vince is set to disappear from the conversation he pops up with a score. After hitting 91 against Surrey he strolled to a fine 142 against title-chasing Somerset.

25 (8) - Mark Wood: Hasn't bowled a ball in anger since the World Cup final when he tore his side. Ruled out of the start of the Ashes as a result before knee surgery ended his season. Winter likely to come too soon and with his 30th birthday on the horizon and a host of fitness problems behind him, his days at the top level are surely numbered.

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