The Ashes Tour 2021-22 England's tour of Australia has demonstrated how the county championship has been left to make its own way, while the limited-over competitions have been given priority by ECB and the first-class counties. No matter who was captaining the squad during this attempt to regain the Ashes, the lack of proper preparation, some of it admittedly made more difficult by COVID and the weather, the decision to leave selection to one person and the preponderance of limited-over fixtures towards the end of our summer have left the squad with batsmen ill-equipped to face the very strong and united Australian attack. Even with these handicaps, we have made some surprising decisions to leave out key players in Brisbane and Adelaide and bat on a green pitch in the very first Test match. Surely Anderson and Broad would have loved the first chance to take on the Australian batsmen in Brisbane and that might have set an entirely different tone in the series? However, it is the batting that is the biggest concern. There remain fundamental problems with the development of Test-class batsmen in the county championship. Four-day fixtures have been shunted to fill gaps in the limited-over programmes, pitches have been prepared to ensure a result, all too often in three days, and have favoured the medium-paced seamers, who will never dominate overseas in Australia, and the England and top overseas players do not play on a regular basis. The England batting line-up may be the best available, but where are the reliable county openers, the exciting and consistent stroke-players who can dominate or defend against bowlers without looking vulnerable for long periods? Where is the 'over-my-dead-body' approach from the middle order? We have some wonderful strikers of the ball in one-day matches, when there are no close catchers. Stokes, Buttler, Bairstow and Malan have huge ability, but the first two appear to have two different playing styles in Test matches - all-out attack or nothing but defiant defence, with not much in between. Pope clearly has talent, but looks inexperienced and frenetic, finding ways to get out. Burns is a fighter and the second highest scorer in Test cricket for England this year, but his technique looks shot to pieces. Neither Hameed nor Crawley has looked able to cope against top-class opening bowlers. It must be disheartening for our bowlers. Anderson has done a marvellous job. Robinson is steady and a captain's dream, but there appear to be doubts about his fitness. Is Broad not worthy of a place on pitches that start green? Wood has bowled valiantly and has provided the extra pace that's needed on pitches with slightly variable bounce. Woakes is a very good third seamer, but not an opening bowler on these pitches. Leach needs help in when he bowls and where his field is set, especially to left-handers. Why is Bess in the squad, if he is not selected when the opposition has so many left-handed batsmen? Brisbane and Melbourne were typical English pitches with seam movement and we were completely outplayed by the better Australian team, who had enjoyed the chance to practise by playing the longer format for their states. There will be no easy fixes, but ECB and its counties must look at priorities and put the county championship at the top, even though it does not produce as much gate money as the limited-over matches. So much of the television revenue seems to have been linked to the Hundred, which no other country plays and which is no preparation for Test cricket. There seem to me to be three essential changes, one radical the other two common sense decisions, to be made: 1. Prioritise and incentivise players and teams in the County Championship a. Four Divisions of 10 counties to include Ireland and Scotland in the Premier and First Divisions along with the first-class counties. b. National Counties initially to play in the Second and Third Divisions c. ECB payments to counties to be based on final positions in the championship d. Let each county decide how many full professionals, semi-professionals or amateurs to select e. Start 4-day Premier and First Division matches on Mondays f. Start 3-day Second and Third Division matches on Sundays g. Use Saturdays for a 50-over competition for Premier and First Division teams h. Play a T20 competition in a period in late July and August 2. Prepare better pitches 3. Return to a selection committee and a strong England manager.