Broken dream (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Broken dream

CRAIG LYUS chats to Jon Lewis, Swindon's England and Gloucestershire cricket who is banking on an England victory in the final Ashes Test

AS the nation tunes into the final, crunch Ashes Test, one Englishman will be watching on with mixed feelings.

Jon Lewis will be cheering Flintoff & Co like everyone else, but at the back of his mind he knows he could have been out there himself.

After years of knocking on the door, the Gloucestershire seamer (right) burst on to the international scene in early July, taking four wickets in the Twenty20 annihilation of Australia and three more on his one-day debut against Bangladesh.

He followed that by hitting the winning run in the NatWest victory over Australia on his home ground, although that did little to disguise a loose bowling display and he hasn't been called upon since.

He was named in the squad for the first Test at Lord's but didn't make the final cut and then disaster struck a broken hand suffered while on Gloucestershire duty against Hampshire.

Lewis has recently returned to action but has failed to show the form that might have prompted selectors to recall him in place of the injured Simon Jones.

"It's been a frustrating season in many ways," said the former Churchfields School pupil.

"It was fantastic to play for England and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience in the one-dayers.

"But then I went back to Gloucestershire and suffered a broken hand which kept me out for three weeks.

"I came back quicker than I should have done, to be honest, because I wanted to try and force my way back into contention for the Ashes, but I haven't done as well as I would have liked and the hand is still not 100 per cent.

" I just have to go away and work hard and try to get myself back involved again."

To add insult to injury, Gloucestershire suffered relegation to Division Two of the Frizzell County Championship last week, so a season that promised so much has finished on a major low for the 30-year-old.

And playing at a lower level next season might not help his international prospects.

He said: "It's a huge disappointment to be down in the second division and it could effect my future England chances

"We just haven't got enough runs this season and if you don't score enough runs you lose matches, plain and simple.

"The batsmen haven't performed. If you look at the table we have 15 batting points and the top sides have about 40. That tells its own story."

Fortunately his international teammates have fared better and are one Test away from ending Australia's 17-year stranglehold on the famous urn.

Lewis said: "I think England will win. They've outplayed Australia in the last three Tests.

"Australia are the dominant force in world cricket and have been for the last 10 years or so.

"To beat them would be incredible and you cannot compare it to any other recent English sporting achievement.

"It won't just be a series win. It will be a massive shift in the balance of power.

"The success of the Ashes has been massive in this country.

"People have come up to me in the street to talk about cricket. That has never happened before.

"The media is giving it more coverage and we're knocking football off the back pages.

"All the people out there are finding out that cricket isn't boring and complicated after all."