Jones intent on becoming world's fastest bowler
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Your support makes all the difference.Simon Jones has set his sights on becoming the fastest bowler in the world after his superb performance almost guided England to victory over Western Australia yesterday.
The Glamorgan fast bowler's inclusion in the squad for this winter's Ashes series was largely based on the promise he showed during the Lord's Test against India last July when he took four wickets. That had been the only evidence that he was capable of dismissing the world's best batsmen until yesterday, when Jones ended months of injury worries – he sustained a side strain on his Test debut – to deliver a fine display of controlled fast bowling to finish with 5 for 78.
On a Perth pitch on which the Australian Test hopeful Brad Williams struggled to make anything like the same impact, Jones's performance has lifted his confidence to such an extent that he now wants to eclipse the speeds generated by the Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar.
"Shoaib's a very good bowler and I want to be as quick as him, but the only way I'll do that is through hard work," the 24-year-old Jones said. "I've still got a bit to go before I'm full pace, I'd say another 10 per cent, but I was able to bowl the odd ball a little bit quicker."
Jones's objective may not be as fanciful as it may seem as his performance was impressive enough to win praise from the Australian opener Justin Langer, who faced Shoaib recently in Sharjah. "It's difficult to compare anybody with Shoaib because nobody bowls as fast as he does, but Jones looks a dangerous prospect," Langer conceded. "He runs in slowly, he just ambles in, and then lets one go.
"It's like playing club cricket the way he dawdles in and then lets them go. He was impressive at Lord's against India and he was lively here so I'm sure England will be hoping for good things from him."
Langer also had words of praise for England, who are beginning to find their feet in Australia after experiencing early form and fitness problems. "I thought England played very well," he said. "I thought Nasser's innings was superb, the best I've ever seen him bat and he looks very focused – that's going to be an issue for us to sort out in our preparation for the Test match.
"It's all about momentum and I was expecting them to gain some leading into the Test match and I'm sure England will take a lot of positives out of the last three days."
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