Ashes 2015: What are England's batting options for third Test?

England's top-order struggles continued in the second Investec Ashes Test at Lord's, as they were reduced to 30-4 and 48-4 in their 405-run defeat to Australia.

With such a heavy defeat, England might look to change things ahead of the third Test at Edgbaston, with opener Adam Lyth and his county team-mate for Yorkshire, Gary Ballance, under the most pressure, with just one fifty between them in the four innings of the series so far.

If England do decide to make a change, who comes in? Sky Sports' Dave Fulton looks at some of the contenders...

Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire)

2015 stats: Matches 7, Innings 11, Runs 906, Highest Score 219no, Average 100.66, 50s 3, 100s 5

"If you look at anyone on the county circuit, it has to be Jonny Bairstow. Talk about banging the door down, he is absolutely kicking it down, taking an axe to the door. 906 runs, with five hundreds, a double-ton, and three fifties in there too. He has pedigree in international cricket, with 95 and a fifty against South Africa in 2012. There was a feeling he had a weakness against the short ball but he has gone away, worked on his game, and is a far better player than when he first played for England. We got a glimpse of that in the one-day internationals when he was brought back into the side."

Mark Stoneman (Durham)

2015 stats: Mat 11, Inns 21, Runs 739, HS 131, Ave 35.19, 50s 2, 100s 3 

"Opening the batting has been tough in county cricket this year – the pitches have been nipping around all over the place - but Mark Stoneman is a guy I have always championed. I really like the look of him. He only averages around 30 in first-class cricket but what he does do, is he bats positively and he scores his runs at Durham, which is one of the hardest places to score. He's scored 739 runs this year and, at 28, he should be at his peak."

Nick Compton (Middlesex)

2015 stats: Mat 11, Inns 21, Runs 769, HS 117, Ave 40.47, 50s 5, 100s 1

"Nick Compton is another option. I think he was discarded too quickly by England – he hit two hundreds against New Zealand - and he is in very good touch, lining the ball up well. He has got lots of starts this year but just the one hundred, with five fifties and lots of thirties. But again, he has played on pitches that have been a bit spicy and have done a bit. It hasn’t been easy facing the new ball, but then again if you open the batting for England against Australia, it is not going to be easy either."

Alex Hales (Nottinghamshire)

2015 stats: Mat 8, Inns 14, Runs 603, HS 236, Ave 43.07, 50s 1, 100s 2

"Everyone likes the look of Alex Hales because he scores his runs so quickly. I’m a big Hales fan and he started the season fantastically well with scores of 236, 141, and 94 in his first three Championship matches. But in his last eight innings across the last five matches, he has a top score of 24. I hope that now is not the time they pick Alex Hales because I think he is a form player, a purple patch player, and he is just going through a spell now where he is really struggling. And if you’re struggling in county cricket, you’re going to struggle against Mitchell Johnson and co. For Hales, perhaps another time."

Fulton's final word

"Look at Australia after Cardiff. A couple of changes seemed to really refresh the side, and made a real difference. Bairstow has to play and I would juggle the batting order slightly. I'd give Gary Ballance a bit of a rest and move Ian Bell and Joe Root up.

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"Ballance is a good player with a good record, but at the moment he has been worked out and I think Bairstow slots in at five. But I’d stick with Lyth. Give him another couple of Test matches and let’s find out about this lad. It was only two Test matches ago that he got a hundred at Headingley, so let’s not discard him just yet. He is a young player finding his way in the game and we can’t keep chopping and changing at the top with Cook’s partners. The only change I’d make right now is to bring Bairstow in."

Anyone else?

So we've heard Fulton's picks, including Bairstow, who is the top run-scorer in Division One of the County Championship, and Compton, who is also in the top five. But who else is among the top run-scorers in county cricket’s top division that England might consider? Here are the other three names to make up the top five...

James Hildreth (Somerset)

2015 stats: Mat 11, Inns 19, Runs 853, HS 187, Ave 44.89, 50s 5, 100s 1

Scott Borthwick (Durham)

2015 stats: Mat 11 Inns 21, Runs 815, HS 103, Ave 42.89, 50s 7, 100s 1

Luke Wright (Sussex)

2015 stats: Mat 11, Inns 19, Runs 780, HS 110, Ave 43.33, 50s 6, 100s 1

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