Cap Fits for Speed Man Jones

Simon Jones, England's hesitant answer to Brett Lee and Shoaib Akhtar, should be third time lucky tomorrow morning and win his first Test cap before he has even won a Second XI cap for Glamorgan.

Injuries to England's two leading fast bowlers, Darren Gough and Andrew Caddick, and another to Surrey's Alex Tudor, have rushed Jones, originally chosen as cover, into the front line to make his debut against India at Lord's.

Having been included in two Test squads already this summer before being left out, he is likely to appreciate the moment.

He said yesterday: "If I do play I will have won an England cap before my county one. In fact I still haven't won my Glamorgan second team cap.

"But after not being selected before, I will go to Lord's with an open mind. I will just try to do my best in the nets. But, if I do play, it will be a great family double because my father also made his Test debut against India.

"I don't think I will be fazed because I was involved in the last Test at Old Trafford and saw plenty of the dressing-room atmosphere. I didn't bowl for a few days after that but I've got my rhythm back now."

Chin music, snot balls, whatever you call it, this man can deliver in terms of pure speed, though a history of injuries, no-balls and erratic direction have worried some captains.

At 12 he was breaking bones in junior cricket with his precocious pace but his progress has been slow since he made his first-class debut for Glamorgan in 1998. And, even though he won a place in the academy last winter, it was after taking only 17 wickets at 52.17 in the county championship.

England's coach Duncan Fletcher, who guided Glamorgan to the championship in 1999, was still impressed by the young fast bowler.

"I thought then that he was something special," he said. "He was really quick, had a great arm and was a great athlete.

"I remember him having a huge problem with his run-up and he was no-balled a lot but the speed really impressed me. People don't realise that he was the one guy I decided should go to the academy in Australia in the winter.

"When he was in the changing room earlier this season he looked confident. We will find out whether he can handle the situation at Lord's."

The genuine fast bowler remains the most thrilling sight in cricket and Jones promises to provide the quickest bowling for England since Devon Malcolm famously consigned South Africa to history in 1994, though the pitch at Lord's is unlikely to have the bounce the Oval did that day.

Some say Jones could be as quick as the young Fred Trueman or as Frank Tyson when, as an equally obscure county cricketer, he blew away Australia in 1954-55 and the legend of the 'Typhoon' was born.

Alec Stewart, who will become England's most capped player tomorrow, has already seen enough to be convinced of the bowler's pace. "He's rapid," he said yesterday. "This lad, if he plays, will be right up there straight away among the quickest bowlers in my time in the England team.

"I haven't kept wicket to him but I'm certainly not queueing up to get in the nets when he's bowling. He could be something very special."

There are no form worries, according to Gloucestershire, who were beaten by Glamorgan on Monday.

Jonathan Lewis, himself an England new-ball candidate - though swing and consistent line and length are his weapons - was one of four victims and he said yesterday: "You can take it from me that he's got plenty of pace.

"I only faced three deliveries and I didn't manage to get a bat on any of them. He looked very strong and quick and that was on the same flat wicket he can expect at Lord's. He also reversed it a bit."

Jones, 23, hopes to have a better first match than his left-arm quick father, Jeff, who played 15 times for England: on his debut, at Bombay in January 1964, he took nought for 48 and nought for 31 and was run out for five in his only innings. He did not play another match in the series.