ENGLAND TEST TRACKER: Who has earned a World Cup boost and which players can only dream of the Ashes?

The Cricketer uses a unique algorithm to determine who is on course to face Australia later this summer, looking at recent World Cup and County Championship performances

1 (1) - Joe Root: Quite frankly, Root’s importance to this England side – in both white-ball and red-ball cricket – has only been amplified in the last week, without England collapsing without trace after he was dismissed against both Sri Lanka and Australia. England’s unquestionable key man.

2 (2) - James Anderson: The Lancashire legend has taken 28 County Championship wickets at an average of 8.64 this season, while Keaton Jennings spoke glowingly of England’s greatest ever bowler when he spoke to The Cricketer earlier this week.

3 (6) - Ben Stokes: As England have panicked in the last week, one man has stood up taller than any other. The talismanic allrounder has had a superb tournament – three different scores of above 80, twice in a losing cause. His bowling has looked better than for some time, while his fielding remains peerless. He has quietened the doubters the right way.

4 (5) - Chris Woakes: Terrific with the ball against Australia, if a smidgeon short early on. A perennially underrated cricketer, possessing talent by the bucketload with both bat and ball. After missing the winter schedule, he has surely played himself back into serious contention.

5 (12) - Jofra Archer: Anyone who even suggests that there might be some doubt over Archer’s Test prospects is lying to you. Quite simply, a must-pick. He nips the ball this way and that with a perfect seam position, with a lethal bouncer and a sterling first-class record to match.

6 (7) - Stuart Broad: Broad has not been nearly as potent as James Anderson has been in the County Championship thus far, although the Nottinghamshire seamer has played less frequently than the Lancastrian. Either way, Broad will form part of the bowling attack for that first Ashes Test.

^{Ben Stokes has arguably been England's best player at this World Cup}

7 (4) - Jos Buttler: The swashbuckling batsman has not been at his very best in the last couple of weeks, although his hundred against Pakistan remains one of the World Cup’s standout knocks. A brief hip problem appears to be no more, but England will be desperate to keep their trump card fit.

8 (8) - Mark Wood: The Durham seamer has been terrific ever since he returned to the England fold in the West Indies over the winter. Quick, fit and causing all manners of problems, has Wood ever bowled better in an England shirt? Another one Root and Trevor Bayliss will want wrapped in cotton wool.

9 (3) - Jonny Bairstow: He spoke spikily earlier this week, turning on pundits who he believes are out to sabotage England’s World Cup bid or – at the very least, to revel in it. This writer could not disagree more. Rarely can the country have been so firmly behind its national side. Played a poor shot to lose his wicket against Australia.

10 (11) - Moeen Ali: By no means at his best with either bat or ball, Moeen may well benefit from Australia’s left-handers. David Warner, Shaun Marsh, Usman Khawaja and Marcus Harris could all be part of Justin Langer’s squad and Moeen’s ability to spin his off-breaks away from the bat may see him get the nod.

11 (9) - Jason Roy: In a sense, Roy’s hamstring injury has almost seen his stock rise further. In his absence, James Vince has failed to stake the serious claim that Ed Smith will have hoped for, while Keaton Jennings has averaged just 27.67 in Division Two this season. If fit, surely this is Roy’s red-ball summer?

12 (16) - Dom Sibley: If domestic form remains the barometer on which international selection is based, then Sibley’s name will certainly crop up as the selectors convene. Two tons along with four fifties – an average of 56.5, with a strike-rate of under 40, which suggests a willingness to fight through the toughest moments. Runs in a losing cause against former club Surrey last week.

Sam Curran is back in action after injury. Would he be in your Ashes squad?

13 (13) - Rory Burns: Even amid Surrey’s miserable start, Rory Burns has done what Rory Burns does, averaging 42.08. Churning out the runs with his ever-so-slight idiosyncrasies, the left-hander deserves to begin the summer as the man in possession. A rare Championship failure last week as he edged Olly Hannon-Dalby without scoring.

14 (-) - Sam Curran: Back in the fold after injury, the younger Curran improved as his game went on against Warwickshire. A second-innings fifty coupled with five wickets in the match gave Surrey a first red-ball win of the season.

15 (-) - Jack Leach: If there’s any justice in the world, Jack Leach will play a part in England’s Ashes campaign this summer. For the same reasons that will benefit Moeen, Leach turning the ball into Australia’s left-handers may well work against him. However, for consistency of performance alone, few deserve it more. Eighteen wickets at an average of 18.17, the guy can bowl.

16 (10) - Ben Foakes: Unquestionably talented and unquestionably the top wicketkeeper in English cricket, how do England get Ben Foakes into their side? If he plays, presumably he keeps. Or could he find a place as a specialist batsman? Time will tell. England know they have some player here..

17 (18) - Joe Denly: The man in possession. And what a way to announce your intention to remain ass England’s number three. A superb 167 against a Nottinghamshire attack boasting James Pattinson and Jake Ball. One thing is for sure, after his World Cup disappointment, Denly will not give up his Ashes spot without a fight.

James Vince has had a mightily poor fortnight in England colours

18 (-) - Jamie Porter: There was a time in the recent past when Porter was the next cab off England’s seam bowling rank. And as he ran through table-topping Somerset, taking nine for 73 across the two innings, it was a timely reminder of those talents. He did for Azhar Ali twice – no mean feat.

19 (-) - Zak Crawley: While Joe Denly got the second innings runs, it was the increasingly impressive Crawley who dug in to get Kent to a score after being put in to bat. He was the ninth man out – for 111, after watching from the other end as his colleagues fell to 119 for six. The 21-year-old is a star in the making.

20 (14) - Adil Rashid: It is clear that he has not been fully fit through this World Cup. Ed Smith admitted as much when the squad was announced, while an ECB statement confirmed this after England’s defeat against Sri Lanka. How ready, therefore, his troublesome shoulder would be for the rigours of five-day cricket is anyone’s guess. Whether he is bowling well enough in any case is a different question.

21 (-) - Gary Ballance: If the idea of this exercise is to locate the top run-scorer in Division One, then here is your answer. A fine total of 681 runs at 68.1 is a fine effort from the perennially doubted Yorkshire man. Would England pick a man so routinely picked off by Mitchell Starc in the past? Yorkshire will hope not…

22 (22) - Ben Brown: Three centuries in as many games followed by scores of 80 and 64 for the Sussex captain. He has never truly been in the reckoning, but perhaps he should be.

23 (-) - Sam Northeast: Northeast joined Hampshire specifically to push himself closer to international honours. He can’t do much more than almost 600 runs at an average of 59.6. He cannot be far away…

24 (-) - Lewis Gregory: Probably not at his best during Somerset’s loss to Essex – a rare off-week for the league leaders. However, 40 wickets at an average of 12 is quite some effort. An England player before 2019 is out. Of that, there is surely little doubt?

25 (20) - James Vince: The Hampshire man has had better weeks. In fact, even in his underwhelming England career to date, he can have had few worse. The elegant right-hander has made little impression on the World Cup, merely highlighting the importance of Jason Roy. Three different dismissals, all of which may count against him come Ashes selection.

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