How on earth are we winning?

Is it just me?

Is anyone else beginning to wonder how on earth England are 2-0 ahead in the current Ashes series?

Our batting, particularly from the top four, has been nothing short of woeful. As I write, we are 56-3 in the second innings of the fourth test. That's eight innings out of eight in which we have made a poor start.

I guess our success in the first two tests can be put down to a combination of good bowling and poor batting on the part of the Aussies. In the second test, for example, we were 20-odd for 3 in the first innings and 30-odd for three in the second ... and yet still went on to win the match by a huge margin.

We rode our luck in the third test, when the rain interruptions helped us secure the draw that guaranteed the retention of the Ashes (as holders we only need to draw the five-test series). We will have to so some to avoid defeat in the current test.

Whatever the outcome of this game, it's time to change things. Ian Bell has batted well at five, and our tail as 'wagged a bit' with the bat: It's the top four who have let us down. They are the guys who are meant to build an innings. It's a blessing to have someone like Broad, who can come in at eight or nine and regularly score 20-30 runs. However, it would be nice if he came in with 400 on the board - not 200. England have yet to make 400 in this series: another statistic that seems remarkable, given our 2-0 lead.

Root and Trott are at the heart of the problem, although even captain Alaistair Cook has been below his best. We need a fresh approach for the final test.