Sky Sports - England in Australia

Jonathan Trott has established himself as a key man in England's batting line-up since his debut in 2009.

Trott has nothing but happy Ashes memories. He made his Test debut in the fifth and deciding Test at the Oval in 2009, scoring 41 and then a critical century in the second innings as England clinched a thrilling 2-1 series victory.

He scored another ton in the first Test of the 2010-11 series in Brisbane and followed that with scores of 78, 4, 31, 168no, and - blip - 0. So - six Ashes Tests for Trott, three centuries, four victories. He averages a whopping 86.42 against the Aussies, against his overall Test average of 50.01.

The 32-year-old is very much England's Roundhead - dour, tough, no frills. Watching Trott bat can, frankly, be hard work. But England fans know that for every Kevin Pietersen, you need a Trott to glue the whole thing together.

Born in Cape Town to a British father and South African mother, he came through the age groups in the country of his birth. But bored by further education, he took a risk and organised a trial with Warwickshire. He scored 245 on his 2XI debut - in effect a trial match.

He then scored a century on his Warwickshire debut against Sussex, and he has never looked back.

In 43 Test matches, he has scored nine hundreds and 16 half-centuries , averaging over 50 in both Test and ODI cricket, making him England's most reliable No 3 in a decade.

His insatiable appetite for runs, no matter how long it takes, will be invaluable to England this summer. Whilst Alastair Cook and Kevin Pietersen may be the focus of media attention in the run up to this summer's Ashes, the Australian analysts know that if Trott has a good series, England will.