THORPEDO!

Lions legends roast Ashes flops

- DEAN WILSON HIE

ENGLAND'S underachieving cricketers have been told by Graham Thorpe to face up to their failings on this Ashes tour if they want to stay in the team and improve.

With the Ashes long gone and the final match to come in Hobart, the Aussies put the squeeze on England in Sydney before setting a fanciful target of 388 to win the fourth Test.

But whatever the result at the SCG the focus has already switched to what the players can take out of the tour, with several changes to be made next week.

Subject to medical assessment it looks like Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler or Jonny Bairstow will be unavailable to take part in the fifth Test.

It will clear the way for Sam Billings to make his Test debut behind the stumps, even though Ollie Pope did a great job filling in yesterday.