November 01 Friday 2002
Great feeling in England camp: Jones 

PERTH: England's Simon Jones says spirits are high within the squad after their bold showing in the tour match against Western Australia which ended on Wednesday. 

Young paceman Jones took five wickets to help bowl Western Australia out for 248 in their second innings before England's batsmen, chasing 135 to win from 20 overs, closed the final day of the three-day match on 130 for five in the drawn encounter. Kent's Robert Key, a late replacement after Graham Thorpe withdrew from the tour for personal reasons, smashed an unbeaten 59 from 48 balls. 

However England, having reached 80 for two, lost momentum when Mark Butcher and John Crawley were dismissed by spinner Brad Hogg with consecutive balls. "I think we have done very well to get within five runs," Jones told a post-match news conference in Perth. England had been outplayed in two earlier matches against second-string state sides in Perth but a first innings century by captain Nasser Hussain followed by the efforts of Key and Jones have added momentum to the touring side's Ashes campaign. 

England will travel across the continent from Western Australia to Queensland on Thursday ahead of a practice session on Friday in preparation for a three-day tour match against the home state starting in Brisbane on Saturday. 

The first Ashes Test against Australia starts in Brisbane on November 7. While fast bowler Darren Gough, who has a knee injury, is considered unlikely to play in the first Test, the Queensland match will be a chance for all-rounder Andrew Flintoff (hernia) and opening batsman Michael Vaughan (knee), if selected, to work on their fitness and form ahead of the first Test.