England must prepare seaming wickets - Jones

Green pitches and a fit Andrew Flintoff are England's best chances of winning the Ashes, according to Dean Jones. Jones, a member of the 1989 side that reclaimed the trophy 4-0, said preparing seam-friendly wickets would "bring the Aussies back to the fold".

"It may not be pretty cricket to watch but it will be effective against Australia," Jones said. The Press Association report said Jones was surprised Lord's was the venue for the first Test on July 21. "England have not beaten Australia there in something like 100 years, so it will be a difficult task to open the five-Test series with a win," he said.

Jones said the presence of Flintoff, who is recovering from left-ankle surgery in February, was vital to ending Australia's 16-year Ashes winning streak. "He's like a young Beefy [Ian Botham]," he said. "I'm just a little worried that he might be rushing back too quickly after the surgery. It took Glenn McGrath six months and some intensive rehabilitation to get back to the level he is at now."