Denly rides his luck to play his way into England's winter plans

"It's an easy game when there's no pressure on, eh?"

On the chattiest day of the series, this nugget picked up by the stump mic was perhaps the most prescient.

Steve Smith was the provider and, of all the inane jibber out in the middle, here was the only source with any credibility. Joe Denly was the one on the receiving end.

He is right, Smith, as he is with all things batting. Especially in that moment: sun shining, not a speck of cloud in the sky, in the third innings and sitting on a lead that had extended to three figures, at one of the country's best venues to make hay.

But Smith also knows he's being a bit loose with the truth because none of Denly's innings have been devoid of pressure.

Each one has begun with a degree of eye-rolling from the many who deem him unworthy of a spot. All carried the theme of proving people wrong ever since that debut at the beginning of January. And, as showcased poignantly in the film, "The Edge" - through the case study of Jonathan Trott - the greatest pressure heaped on a batsman emanates from his own mind.

With that, though, comes an appreciation of luck, and no one appreciates luck quite like a batsman under the cosh. That awareness carries over into their own lives, too.

For example, Denly missed the birth of his first child and, to this day, feels rotten about it. It was 5am when he got the call in Derby to let him know his wife, Stacey, was going into labour. On her orders, he took his time and even had breakfast before setting off to the hospital. Traffic meant he arrived five minutes late.

He took no chances for the second arrival on Friday morning. He was there to greet his second-daughter into the world, and only when all was right, did he return to the Test Match he was involved in, shuffling back into the pack just after lunch on that day two. A few hours later, he was dropped by Marcus Harris when coming out to bat 15 minutes before the close. Cricketers often say having a kid improves your game because it offers you a broader perspective. Well, so does being dropped on nought.

Oh, and surviving what turned out to be a nailed on LBW appeal when on 54. Or skimming a chipped drive over one of the biggest blokes in the opposition when on 63. Or skimming an inside edge past your stumps when on 93.

That the perfect culmination of this innings did not arise made England's most accomplished day of the Ashes feel a tad flat. At the same time, falling six short of a maiden Test hundred, through a fine piece of bowling from Peter Siddle, felt about right. It would be one to always carry the caveats of that drop; those near-misses, for only coming when the urn was gone. As Smith put it: when there was no pressure.

Yet, spending words considering whether Saturday's innings was lucky, easier or even definitive is to miss the point. As it was when he got himself into the series with the gutsy 50 at Headingley, added to it with an ultimately futile 53 at Manchester and undone to an extent with the scrappy 14 in the first innings here, the only real judgement on Denly has to be made in the moment rather than worrying too much about what might or might not come next.

At 33, he can only be judged on the present. And that is, on the available evidence of an Ashes series where ball has consistently dominated bat, a player who has stood up when England have needed him and when others least expected him to.

He had to find a way against Nathan Lyon this morning, so decided to hit him down the ground. In consecutive deliveries, he sent the off-spinner towards Pavilion for four and into it for six. It was what the team needed him to do, denying Tim Paine the chance to leave his spinner on for long spells where he could get into his groove. Later, when he was not inside-edging Pat Cummins for four, he was placing him through the covers with an identical albeit better-executed drive. Nothing was easy but he kept making it work.

At other points, he played the part of enabler: assisting Stokes in a partnership that reached 100 off 184 balls with Denly the lesser contributor with 41. It was only England's fourth century partnership of the series and one which ensured they at least hold most of the aces going into day four with the lead on 382 and two partnerships left to extend it.

Just as it was when he began, Denly will likely forever be the first to be floated for the chop because of his veteran-status and his role as a neither-here-nor-there batsman means he is easily dispensable for younger specialists. The replacements are ready and waiting: Zak Crawley, 21, is the coming opener and Dom Sibley, 24, eight first-class hundreds in the last two years, the next off the rank. If the engine room will be tinkered with, then Sam Northeast, 30, has the record, Sam Hain, 24, the panache and, if they decide to go back, Gary Ballance, 29, has the record as well.

But it looks like some of them will have to wait a little longer with Denly playing his way into England's winter plans. He may not be one for the future, but he absolutely is the man for right now.