Q&A: How England’s Test team fared during an eventful 2024 and what comes next
England won nine of their 17 Tests this year, losing eight.
England were on the wrong end of a massive 423-run defeat in their final Test of the year but still walked away with a 2-1 series win over New Zealand.
Here the PA news agency looks at some of the key issues for the national side as they close out 2024.
How did England’s Test team perform over the past 12 months?
England were stretched thin with 17 Tests, more than any other side in the world and a joint record over a calendar year. They emerged marginally in credit with nine wins and eight defeats, taking three series and losing two. Six of their losses came in the spin-friendly conditions of India and Pakistan, while they were victorious in five out of six outings on home turf.
Who were the most reliable run machines?
And who did the business with the ball?
One of the most important decisions England took was calling time on James Anderson’s peerless career as Test cricket’s king of swing. He did not want to go but at the age of 41, the selectors made their move. That meant young faces had to take the strain and two stepped up in style. Gus Atkinson debuted in Anderson’s farewell appearance at Lord’s and managed to upstage him with match figures of 12 for 106 and never looked back. He finished with 52 wickets at 22.15, second only to Indian superstar Jasprit Bumrah, and managed to add England’s first hat-trick since 2017 in Wellington. Brydon Carse had an equally eventful time of it, hit with a three-month ban for historic betting offences over the summer before making up for lost time with some formidable performances over the winter.
Which players need to raise their game in 2025?
What does Ben Stokes’ latest injury mean?
What comes next for England’s Test team
For the third edition in a row, England will be watching the World Test Championship final from a distance when it comes to Lord’s in June. Their next assignment is a much lower key clash against Zimbabwe, a rare four-dayer at Trent Bridge that those with IPL commitments could be excused. After that come the two marquee five-match series that could define the Stokes-McCullum era. India arrive over the summer with high hopes of triumphing on English soil for the first since 2007, before a hotly-anticipated Ashes tour that will dominate the 2025/26 winter. Win both and greatness beckons.
