Lower-order saviours becoming a familiar tail

Don't call them the tail … that’s the message from Australia's Bupa Support Team batting coach Michael Di Venuto, who insists his side's bowlers have done more than enough to warrant the tag 'lower-order batsmen' in the Ashes.

"I call them our lower order – don't call them our tail," Di Venuto said. "They need to have a rest because they bowl, that's the only reason they don't bat up the order."

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Based on the past two Ashes series, the tailenders' tussle could play a pivotal role in deciding who takes home the urn.

"Like a lot of Test series, this one is going to be decided by the runs scored by numbers seven to 11," former England captain Bob Willis told Sky Sports.

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There were many reasons for the dramatic turnaround between the 2013 and 2013-14 series.

An important factor was Australia's new-found ability to stop Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann from eking out runs.

Brad Haddin also formed a series of important partnerships with the tail to steady his side after top-order collapses.

Much was made of Joe Root's century in the first Test at Cardiff, but Moeen Ali also did superbly to steer England from 6-293 to 430 in their first dig.

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Mitchell Johnson countered with a swashbuckling 77 on day four, but too much work had been left for the tail after Australia slumped to 7-151.

Steve Smith and Chris Rogers' imposing 284-run partnership put the tourists in the box seat at Lord's, but Di Venuto knows they won't always have that luxury.

"I get tired towards the end of the day (at training) when the (bowlers) start coming out at me (for batting practice)," he said.

"You've got to do it because they expect themselves to score runs, not just go out there to fill up a little bit of time.

“They're all talented batters."

The numbers do point to a slight increase in the performance of batsmen 8-11; since the turn of the century, they’ve averaged 16.35 per wicket in Ashes cricket, while between 1985 and 1999, the same positions averaged 14.06.

Rogers trains well at Edgbaston

TALE OF THE TAIL

AUSTRALIA

Mitchell Johnson
Average: 23.24.
Showed his wares with the bat at Cardiff with 77 in the second innings, and has regularly scored crucial runs for Australia in Test cricket over the years, highlighted by an unbeaten 123 against South Africa in 2009.

Mitchell Starc
Average: 26.00.
Fell one run short of a century against India in 2013 and has generally shown a genuine aptitude and aggressive attitude with the bat, though he hasn’t passed 20 in a Test since last summer against India.

Josh Hazlewood
Average: 37.00.
Highest score of 43 not out at first-class level and almost matched that in the Caribbean when his 39 helped Adam Voges across the line for a century on debut.

Nathan Lyon
Average: 14.75.
Went 194 days and 160 deliveries without being dismissed in 2013-14, and his resolute defence means he is the team’s go-to nightwatchman.

ENGLAND

Moeen Ali
Average: 29.35.
Made 39 in first innings at Lord's and starred in Cardiff with 77. With a Test century and 14 first-class hundreds to his name, he is a genuine allrounder.

Stuart Broad
Average: 22.84.
Short-ball issues have hampered his game quite dramatically in recent times but he is certainly still capable of scoring quick runs, though they appear to be more in cameo format as opposed to the runs he once produced, which had him bordering on bowling allrounder status.

Mark Wood
Average: 31.00.
Smacked an unbeaten 32 to heap further misery on Australia in Cardiff and with a couple of fifties at first-class level looks a dangerous addition to the English tail.

Jimmy Anderson
Average: 10.52.
Batted for 69 minutes to deny Australia victory at Cardiff in 2009 but generally speaking, has to be the ‘bunny’ of this high-quality bunch. 

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