Jones 'surprised' by rate of progress

England had not expected to be in a position to topple Australia going into the final Ashes Test before the series began, Geraint Jones said yesterday.

Jones is struck by the speed with which perceptions of the England team have changed while they have surprised themselves by taking a 2-1 lead to The Oval.

"What's happened this year has probably come a little bit sooner than we all anticipated," said Jones. "We knew that we had a side good enough to compete with them and to beat them but we maybe thought it was a little bit further down the track, but the way we played here you can see everybody's expectations.

"We knew we could play at this level. We just didn't know when we'd all click and it's been fantastic to do it against the Aussies at home to hopefully get the Ashes back."

The fear factor has gone from England. Jones said England no longer had the mental block about Glenn McGrath. "I think we acknowledge how good a player he is but I think we've overcome that big psychological barrier that was maybe there. The guys at the top have played him well and I expect that to continue in this last Test."

While Australia are pleased at McGrath's likely return, England are still nervous about Simon Jones's availability. He continued to receive treatment yesterday and Geraint Jones knows how important his recovery is.

"Everyone's really waiting to see how Simon is in the morning," Jones said. "He's played such a crucial role in this series, so it would be great to see him out there and back again because he has bowled fantastically well and taken crucial wickets. He has been a big reason for the success of where we are."

Simon Jones will be envious of the day his namesake had yesterday. Geraint was among a group of England players who took part in the Tagheuer Golf Links event at Sunningdale featuring 40 teams led by celebrities. The England captain Michael Vaughan was particularly satisfied as he managed an albatross on the 2nd hole.

"It's a good start," said Jones. "Obviously we're coming into the biggest week of our lives, so to be able to start off by playing a fantastic course helps you to relax in the preparation. We're doing exactly as we have done for the whole of the summer in terms of cricket preparation and the whole of the last 18 months. So, though it's a big week, hopefully the same result will come out."