Ashes 2015: England’s top order a major issue

England's top order have not learnt from their mistakes, adding to their woes

Any hopes that England and their cricket fans must have harboured when Australia finally declared for a score of 566 for 8 where short lived as within an hour, the Australians had the English huffing and puffing at 30 for 4. But they should not even be remotely surprised as this has become a norm for England in whites recently and going further, if their middle order does not step up during the second Ashes Test at Lord’s, Nikhil Popat reckons Australia will add further misery to their top-order woes.

Australia batted on the Lord’s deck like they could hardly get out even by mistake on the first day of the second Test at Lord’s. England came back rather decently taking as many as six wickets for 229 runs, Stuart Broad had taken four for 83 to restrict the Aussies. Steven Smith scored a brilliant 215 to put Australia in control. England would have hoped to have the chance to bat soon and when Alastair Cook and Adam Lyth came out to open the batting, their fans all-round the globe would have wished for a fight from them but what followed was a regular site. England were four down for a score of just 30 runs on the board.  READ: Ashes 2015: Stuart Broad, England’s only positive on a day of agony

This is quickly becoming a habit for England and it is an area they will want to work on and get better at.  If we look at the following table, it shows how vulnerable England have been at the top order.

In the first Test against West Indies, England were tottering at 34 for three batting first, it was Ian Bell and Joe Root who took them to a score of 399. In the very same game, second innings, England got off to yet another struggling start, 52 for three, but this time Gary Ballance scored a century somehow along with contributions from middle order to get 333 on board.

The trend continued in the third Test too, England were tottering at 38 for three and were eventually bowled out for 257. In the second innings, they were blown away and were bundled out for 123 after being 39 for five at one stage. Their middle order has saved them often but it didn’t in that game and they lost the game fair and square. READ: Where is the real David Warner?

Country changed, opposition changed, coach changed but England’s collapse at the top order continued, if not for Joe Root’s 98, England would have struggled to compete in the first Test, the Kiwis had them 30 for 4. They eventually made 389 but did not learn enough and were again in trouble at 74 for 3 in the second innings, Cook however took them to par score with his 162.

New Zealand had an opening but could not make it count and so did Australia in the first Test, they had England on the mat on 43 for 3 and would have been four down had Brad Haddin held onto a dolly from Joe Root. Result, another ton by Root, rescue by middle order to post a decent total. England have had their middle order stepping up to ensure they do not embarrass themselves but it is time England fixed the struggling top order. READ: Chris Rogers, is it really your time to retire?

On the second day of the second Ashes Test at Lord’s, after fielding for five sessions, England found themselves in yet another hole, they were huffing and puffing at 30 for four. Yet another top order collapse, though Alastair Cook and Stokes steadied them with a 55-run stand to see through the day, England cannot afford to keep repeating this collapses.

Lyth and Ballance have looked completely out of sorts and Ian Bell has not been consistent. They could get Bell at No.3 since Ballance right now does not seem to be a good mental space for a batsman batting at crucial position. Their middle order is clicking and if the top order can improve, England will pose threat to the Australians who are starting to find their mettle in England. Australia have made the inroads already and England will have to work on this weakness on emergency basis else Australia might run away with both the Tests and the urn too.

(Nikhil Popat is a cricket lover and a PotterHead. He can be followed on Twitter @CricCrazyNIKS)

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