Jones in M.C.C. side to play the Sri Lankans

Simon Jones has been selected to represent the M.C.C. in their three-day friendly against the Sri Lankan tourists at Chesterfield on June 6th.

The young pace bowler was in England`s squad for the Second Test at Edgbaston, but he missed out on selection in the final eleven. However, on Sunday he spent the day acting as England`s twelfth man, fielding as substitute for the injured Mark Butcher.

The M.C.C. game gives Jones another chance to stake a claim for a place in the England side for the Third Test at Old Trafford, and perhaps the winter tour to Australia.

It is also the only first-class fixture in between the Second and Third Test, and provides the England selectors with an opportunity to run their eye over several promising young players, as well as others on the fringe of the England Test and one day teams.

Besides Jones, the M.C.C. team also contains several members of the E.C.B. Academy who spent last winter `down under`.

The M.C.C. side in full is Robert Key (Kent), Andrew Strauss (Middlesex), David Fulton (Kent - captain), Owais Shah (Middlesex), Usman Afzaal (Nottinghamshire), Darren Stevens (Leicestershire), Chris Read (Nottinghamshire - w/k), Richard Dawson (Yorkshire), Simon Jones (Glamorgan), James Kirtley (Sussex), Jonathan Lewis (Gloucestershire).