Jacks of all trades the master for England as World Cup dust settles

While that could yet spell the end for Brendon McCullum, the ultimate gambler whose prospects are possibly bleaker than a duff hand in poker, it was winnings of sorts for a team that was down on its luck just two months ago.

All hail Jacks for that welcome upturn - clearly not just a jack of all trades, but a master of them, too.

In the eight games played by England in the competition (four in the group stages, three in the Super Eights, followed by Thursday’s semi-final defeat against India), the 27-year-old Surrey all-rounder was player-of-the-match on four occasions.

Jacks topped England’s batting averages with 56 (Jacob Bethell’s 35 was the next-highest return) and he had the joint-best strike-rate with the ball of the regular XI, taking a wicket every 13.3 deliveries, as did Jamie Overton.

He also held six catches (only Tom Banton took more) as he proved himself a man for all seasons, a highly talented player in the round.

Behind star names such as Harry Brook and Jos Buttler, even if the latter’s star has lately dimmed to the extent that he managed just 87 runs in the World Cup in eight innings, Jacks is regarded as a “bits and pieces” cricketer - someone who can turn his hand to everything as opposed to someone who can do one thing particularly well.

It might be time to update the definition.

For as Jacks showed throughout the World Cup tournament, few can hit more cleanly or with greater power, his strike-rate of 176 runs per 100 balls superior to any other England frontline batsman, exceeded only by Rehan Ahmed (one appearance) and tail-ender Jofra Archer.

Against Nepal and Italy, the associate teams, Jacks rescued England from further scrutiny following Wellington, Noosa, Lilac Hill, you name it.

His unbeaten 39 from 18 balls with four sixes was key to lifting England to a defendable score against the Nepalese, as shown by the eventual winning margin of four runs.

Against Italy, Jacks walloped an unbeaten 53 from 22 balls with four sixes again, the top score as England prevailed by 24 runs.

He then chipped in with runs and wickets in the 51-run victory against Sri Lanka in the first Super Eights game, making the second-highest score of 21 before taking the best figures of 3-22.

Jacks struck a useful 28 in the two-wicket win against Pakistan, which was memorably powered by Brook’s fine hundred, and then an unbeaten 32 from 18 balls to steer England to a four-wicket triumph against New Zealand, having earlier returned the best figures of 2-23 with his canny off breaks.

Jacks was also England’s best and most economical bowler in the semi-final with 2-40.

That match was not done and dusted for India until Jacks fell for 35 from 20 balls in the chase, having threatened with centurion Bethell an improbable assault on a monstrous target of 254.

Jacks has enhanced his reputation appreciably in the last few weeks.

Of course, the fact that he had the opportunity to do so betrayed how often he was needed to bail out the team.

As he admitted prior to the semi-final - as someone who has been batting at No 7 and is not the premier spinner in the side - it proved that not everything team-wise had been going to script.

“Ideally, I would do nothing,” said Jacks.

“I’m the extra bowler and the extra batter.

“If I didn’t bowl and didn’t bat, we’d have that perfect game that people have been speaking about.

“If I do nothing (in the semi-final), we’ll have had a great day.”

If Jacks was the insurance policy lower down the order, and someone with the ability to winkle out wickets, Bethell has blossomed as the hope for the future.

His hundred against India was superbly constructed and followed consistent scores in the group stages too, not least the highest contribution of 55 in the win against Nepal.

A few months ago, Bethell did not have a hundred to his name in professional cricket.

He now has one in all three formats of international cricket, his century against India following scores of 110 against South Africa in a one-day international in Southampton, and 154 against Australia in the final Test in Sydney. The 22-year-old left-hander has come of age.

Positives to take from the winter at last, although in reaching the semi-finals England achieved no more than what was expected.

Without Jacks, however, never mind Bethell, they might not even have progressed beyond the group stage.

As it was, they stuck at it until their campaign ended not unpredictably with defeat to the favourites.

Unlike what happened in Australia, there was no disgrace in that.