One of the most prominent numbers of 2016 has been the batting stats for England's lower middle order. Jonny Bairstow has already scored 1355 Test runs in 2016 - which is more than any other batsman this year - of which 1161 have come when he has batted at No. 6 or 7. With Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali contributing handsomely at those positions too, England have enormous firepower in their lower middle order, who are capable of turning matches around with the ability to not only score runs, but score them quickly. All three have shown the ability to build on a solid foundation by the top order, but more importantly, have repeatedly hauled England out of a hole when they have lost early wickets. Against Australia's strong pace attack, it is entirely possible that England lose a few early wickets. If that does happen, the presence of a strong lower middle order could be priceless.

While England's lower middle order has proved their quality time and again in these last 15 months, Australia's has struggled. In the period since the last Ashes series in 2015, their Nos. 6 and 7 batsmen have averaged 19.81. The averages for Australia and England are at the two ends of the list: England are at the head of the class with their 50-plus class, while Australia make up the bottom. The difference between the averages for England and India, the next best team, further illustrates how much better than all other teams they have been in this aspect of their batting.

Team-wise stats for Nos. 6 & 7 batsmen in Tests since Sep 2015 Team Inns Runs Average SR 100s England 65 2947 51.70 62.58 7 India 40 1356 39.88 49.63 4 Sri Lanka 44 1703 39.6 53.57 5 South Africa 44 1239 31.76 51.34 3 New Zealand 49 1300 29.54 46.98 1 Pakistan 42 1109 28.43 52.53 1 Zimbabwe 16 422 26.37 53.48 0 West Indies 42 1041 26.02 48.06 1 Bangladesh 8 164 23.42 43.04 0 Australia 36 654 19.81 43.80 0

Three England batsmen have scored 450-plus runs at Nos. 6 and 7 since the last Ashes, and the numbers for all of them are hugely impressive: they have all scored multiple hundreds - with a top score of more than 150 - and average more than 44 at strike rates greater than 59.

Top run-scorers for Eng at Nos. 6 & 7 in Tests since Sep 2015 Player Inns Runs Highest Average SR 100s 50s Jonny Bairstow 26 1332 167* 60.54 59.70 3 6 Ben Stokes 20 892 258 44.60 67.98 2 4 Moeen Ali 8 494 155* 82.33 68.51 2 2

Only two Australian batsmen have batted more than twice at those positions in this period, and their numbers are limp by comparison. Peter Nevill, no longer in favour with the selectors after the Hobart fiasco, has tried to dig in and bat time, but only averages 21.61, while Mitchell Marsh hasn't done much better. Nevill's 66 is the highest for Australia at these two slots, and one of only three 50-plus scores in 36 innings, compared to England's highest of 258, and 20 fifty-plus scores in 65 innings.

Australia tried new faces at these positions in the Adelaide Test against South Africa, but unless they contribute handsomely and cement their places by the Ashes, England will have a huge advantage in this aspect. The fact that all three of their stars at these positions have a second skill in their armoury - Bairstow behind the stumps, Moeen and Stokes with the ball - further adds to England's depth.

Top run-scorers for Aus at Nos. 6 & 7 in Tests since Sep 2015 Player Inns Runs Highest Average SR 100s 50s Peter Nevill 14 281 66 21.61 37.31 0 2 Mitchell Marsh 14 274 53 21.07 53.93 0 1

The pace comparison

Both Australia and England are largely reliant on their quick bowlers for wickets, and on pitches which should be reasonably fast and bouncy, this battle between the two pace attacks promises to be an enthralling one. In the recent Australia-South Africa series, fast bowlers accounted for 82 wickets, the fourth-highest ever in a three-Test series in Australia - the three higher ones were all between 1979 and 1982, and two of them featured West Indies. In the 15 months since the last Ashes, South Africa, England and Australia have the best fast-bowling stats, and on pitches likely to offer reasonable pace and bounce, this promises to be a spicy pace contest.

Teams with best averages for fast bowlers since Sep 2015 Team Tests Wickets Average Strike rate 5WI South Africa 13 133 24.93 49.7 8 England 19 221 25.87 56.7 7 Australia 14 176 28.50 50.8 7

James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood have all taken 50-plus Test wickets at sub-30 averages in the last 15 months, but England seem to have the better support act, in the form of Chris Woakes and Ben Stokes, both of whom have taken 35-plus wickets at impressive averages during this period. Australia's third-highest wicket-taker among their pace attack is Mitchell Marsh, with 20 wickets at 38.40. That also suggests Australia might be more reliant on their top two bowlers, and could be badly hit if either of them is unavailable due to injury.

England's top fast bowlers since Sep 2015 Player Tests Wickets Average Strike rate 5WI Stuart Broad 17 58 24.82 57.5 1 James Anderson 14 54 20.61 53.5 3 Chris Woakes 12 41 24.78 50.8 2 Ben Stokes 14 38 26.13 52.8 1

Australia's top fast bowlers since Sep 2015 Player Tests Wickets Average Strike rate 5WI Josh Hazlewood 14 54 28.48 57.0 2 Mitchell Starc 9 51 21.33 36.8 3

Steven Smith v Joe Root

They are the best batsmen in their teams, and among the best going around today. In the last 15 months, they are both among the top six run-scorers in Tests: Root leads the charts with 1669 runs to Smith's 1216, but Smith has played only 24 innings to Root's 36 and has the better average. Root's recent conversion rate - three hundreds in 15 fifty-plus scores - is also a bit of a worry, compared to Smith's four in ten.

Top run-scorers in Tests since Sep 2015 Player Mat Runs Ave 100s 50s Joe Root 19 1669 50.57 3 12 Jonny Bairstow 19 1609 55.48 3 8 Alastair Cook 19 1604 48.60 3 9 Kane Williamson 15 1449 60.37 4 9 David Warner 14 1256 52.33 4 3 Steven Smith 14 1216 60.80 4 6 Virat Kohli 14 1165 58.25 3 3

Both Smith and Root were prolific in the 2015 Ashes - Smith scored 508 runs at 56.44 and Root 460 at 57.50, but the overall averages for both in Ashes games are in the early 40s: 41.29 for Root, and 43.19 for Smith. Those numbers will only go up, since both weren't so prolific in their first couple of Ashes series. Smith will have home advantage next season: he averages 63.29 in home Tests, while Root only averaged 27.42 in eight innings in the 5-0 drubbing in 2013-14. Given Root's class and his recent form, though, the numbers are unlikely to be as skewed in the 2017-18 Ashes.

Smith and Root in the Ashes Player, opposition Mat Runs Average 100s Root v Aus 14 991 41.29 3 Smith v Eng 18 1339 43.19 5

The Cook contrast

Alastair Cook has played six Ashes series. In the 2010-11 series in Australia, he was in irresistible form, scoring 766 runs in seven innings, with three centuries. In the remaining 25 Ashes Tests, he has scored less than twice the tally of 2010-11, with only one hundred in 48 innings.

The Bairstow-Stokes-Moeen troika gives England plenty of muscle in the middle order, but England will a long way towards winning the Ashes if Cook can summon some of the form of 2010-11. With Starc and Hazlewood expected to be at the top of their game, a solid Cook defying them for long periods will significantly ease the run-scoring task for England's middle order.

Cook's Ashes campaigns Series Tests Runs Average Strike rate 100s In 2010-11 5 766 127.66 53.26 3 All other Ashes series 25 1351 28.14 43.55 1