Rob Key, Ian Bell, Michael Vaughan

It really annoys me when England lose a test match, and indeed a test series, when they should have won it. You could argue that we should have won that series 2-1. I don’t lay much blame on Andrew Strauss though. I think he will mature into a fine captain, and is the right man to lead us going forward (I was never a fan of KP). I agree that maybe he should have declared before lunch on the final day in Trinidad, but cricket is always full of ifs and maybes. I think Strauss has been too afraid to make a mistake on this tour, but I think his captaincy will improve as he learns what risks he can and can’t take. Still, it’s not all doom and gloom and we must start to look forward to the Ashes.

One major problem remains for England though. Who will fill this number 3 slot? At the moment we seem to be going through number 3s as if there’s no tomorrow. But then, if you think through the possibilities, England’s cupboard is about as bare as Old Mother Hubbard’s. This series, Ian Bell and Owais Shah were both tried, but with limited success. I’ve never been much of a fan of Ian Bell, he’s yet to really fire against the big sides, and was pretty dismal in this series, as such, he is certainly not the answer at 3. Shah only proved moderately more successful, although some lazy shots and equally lazy running means that that success was very limited. He is far from making that position his.

What we need at 3 is a grafter. Someone to drop anchor and defend with a solid forward defence and a Yorkshire accent. Someone like Boycott or, and I think the best example of what England need, Gary Kirsten. When the wirily left hander came in, you knew he would make either 22 or 222. He wasn’t flamboyant or aggressive. He would patiently wait for the bad ball and dispatch it, making sure he didn’t get out. By the time you’d slumbered you’re way through to tea, South Africa were usually a lot for 2.

In fact, if you look through some of the other world class number 3′s of the modern era, they all have qualities which are increasingly rare in English batsmen. Dravid, Ponting, Lara, Amla, Younis and Sangakkara are among the best number 3′s we’ve seen in recent times. Not all of them are ‘Drop-the-anchor’ types, but I think that this is certainly a quality that England will need. Imagine the sticking power of Boycott batting with the flair of Pietersen. Even if we don’t find a sticker, your test match number 3 must have genuine world class ability.

Looking at the last 5 years, England’s highest averaging number 3 has been Cook, with an average of 52.54, but given that he has made the opening spot his, we have to look at other possibilities (we have to ignore Stauss too). Rob Key is still an option, but as with Ian Bell, I always feel he’s on the brink of getting out. He has achieved some success with the England Lions, and does possess experience.

I personally think there’s a real case in bringing Vaughan back for the Ashes. He’s certainly been one of the more successful number 3s in recent years and does possess the necessary know-how to beat Australia. All depends on whether he wants to or not. Other plays on the brink of the team are people like Trott or Patel, both of whom impressed with the Lions recently. But it would be a bold coach that gambled on one of those two for the Ashes. Sadly I don’t know enough about the current county circuit to delve into any other major possibilities. But no immediate names spring to mind.

As I said, I would personally go with Vaughan, but that is unlikely to happen, so we may end up with Shah. But, if we are to stand a chance of winning the Ashes, he will really have to knuckle down and concentrate on not giving his wicket away.

It is with a depressing sigh that we head into the English summer with no coach, no recognised number 3 and a bowling attack lacking any fear factor.