Key's chance courtesy of slim pickings

It took five days to name Robert Key as the replacement batsman for the England squad that is charged with regaining the Ashes this winter. This is not because the selectors were submerged by the weight of runs scored by prospective candidates and had to sift through them all one by one, as if they were letters of application. That exercise would have taken about five minutes, but only if they wanted to claim a bit of overtime.

The only possible reason for the delay in filling the place vacated by Graham Thorpe was arranging the necessary, if brief, discussion after England's defeated party flew home from the Champions' Trophy in Sri Lanka. The name eventually announced yesterday was Key of Kent, who played two Tests against India in the summer. So, a right-handed opener has been picked instead of a left-handed middle-order player.

He is the correct choice, but choice was something the selectors were not exactly spoiled for after Thorpe's withdrawal, for personal reasons. It may be why they were prepared to take such a gamble on Thorpe's well-being in the first place.

Key was one of three names being touted. The others were Mark Ramprakash and Nick Knight. In Test terms they can both be seen as soiled goods, but the selectors did well to resist their blandishments, particularly those of Ramps, who averages 43 against Australia. After that, barely a single batsman can have warranted a mention.

"To tour Australia is something I have wanted to do ever since I was a kid," said Key, 23. "I had planned for the winter off, taking it easy at home and playing some hockey before Christmas and then going to Perth and working on my game in the New Year, so this has come as a big surprise."

It was also a surprise that the selectors had been content originally to let Key have the winter off, rather than sending him to the National Academy, which is based in Adelaide. There he would have been in cricketing mode and on tap should another batsman have been required when the team were in Australia. When it comes to substitutes it surely makes sense to have your bench nearby.

Key earned his selection – just – but he did not look for England the composed player, with soft hands on the bat, that he does for Kent. The best that can be said for his Test career so far is that in three innings he has improved his score each time: 17, 30, 34.

David Graveney, the chairman of selectors, said: "The selectors considered various options but we wanted to maintain continuity. Michael Vaughan began his international career in the middle order and we have no problem with considering Robert for any batting position either." He could hardly say otherwise, since the alternative statement would have been to admit that there is not a young middle-order batsman out there who was possibly worth risking in Australia. Look at the averages.

It means, however, that England could take the field with five men in the top six who have spent large parts of their careers as openers: Vaughan and Marcus Trescothick, who will do the real opening, Mark Butcher, Alec Stewart and Key. Still, in 1970-71 did not Raymond Illingworth's side win back the Ashes on the broad bats of three openers: Geoff Boycott, John Edrich and Brian Luckhurst? It seems churlish to be questioning the depth and quality of English batsmanship after a season in which the Test team only had to turn up to score 500 (four times) and on one occasion 600.

Truly, it had never been so good, and no matter how virtuous the pitches and how moderate the bowling, it was a genuine achievement. Compare it with a time two summers ago when England had been dismissed for under 200 36 times in 116 innings. But the words then of Bob Woolmer, the recently departed coach of Warwickshire who was in Sri Lanka this week for a special ICC symposium, still hold good. "English batting has gone backwards over the years because of the lack of practice time and poor facilities," he said. Or the statement of Graeme Fowler, who predicted then that English batting was lean enough for a whole generation to miss out.

This has not quite happened – Trescothick and Vaughan are finds of which any generation could be proud – but the portents are not good. An examination of the leading players among those who had more than 10 innings in the First Division of the 2002 County Championship does not make happy reading. Key was in 18th place, which was adequate enough, but he knows he should have done better. Just above him was Rikki Clarke, the Young Cricketer of the Year, who was playing in a strong Surrey side and has proved nothing yet.

Above them are four overseas players and no fewer than six batsmen who have been tried and rejected by England: Knight, Adam Hollioake, Ian Ward, Ramprakash and Darren Maddy – six if you count the Yorkshire wicketkeeper Dick Blakey.

There is also Jamie Trough-ton of Warwickshire, 23, scorer of 1,052 runs, three dashing centuries and with an average of over 50. Good stuff, and he is off to the Academy. He is following in the footsteps of his county colleague and good friend Ian Bell. A year ago Bell was openly touted as the next big thing. He went to the Academy, had good reports and was picked as cover for the tour of New Zealand.

It was widely expected that Bell would be picked for the First Test of the season against Sri Lanka. When he was not, Graveney rang to say sorry. The lauding of Bell was risibly premature. He ended the summer without a hundred and with an average of 24. Far from being great, some who know his batting well are not only asking if he is ready but if he is good enough.

The Academy is reason for fresh hope. Troughton is the grandson of Patrick, television's most beloved science- fiction doctor. You just hope a year or two from now you are not asking: "Who?"