Those weak Welshmen, you can never rely on them. Only joking. But there can have been few occasions when the fitness of a Welshman was so important to a sporting team going under the title of England.

But that was most definitely the case this week. The state of Simon Jones' ankle suddenly assumed national importance.

Everybody wanted to know if he is going to be fit. Unfortunately he has not made it. Hopefully now everyone can leave me alone and stop asking for his phone number- which, for the umpteenth time, I have not got. He has changed it. You would if the News of the World were on to you.

That is the unpalatable side (if thankfully examples are few and far apart) of the remarkable upsurge in interest in cricket. You just cannot exaggerate how strongly this series has gripped the nation.

But can we do enough to secure the series now? Jones' fitness was as vital for me as it was for everyone else. With him out, if Glenn McGrath makes it (however unlikely that might seem with the call up of Stuart Clark) then that will represent a massive sea-change in respective strengths. It is no coincidence that England have won two Test matches when McGrath has not been playing.

And England have had a rum old time of it in settling on a replacement for Jones. Basically there is no-one out there to fit the bill.

Chris Tremlett has been in the squad all summer but clearer and clearer indications have emerged to prove that he is nowhere near ready, culminating in last Saturday's C&G Trophy final at Lord's where his opening spell was insipid.

This is no time for a debutant to be hurled into an Ashes series, not least one who is so obviously lacking confidence. So the selectors have gone for the two-pronged safety valve of Paul Collingwood and James Anderson; neither ideal replacements.

Jones' career has been dogged by injury, not least the horrific snapping of the cruciate ligaments in his knee at Brisbane in 2002. His father Jeff's career was ended prematurely by an elbow injury, so it was sometimes assumed early in Simon's career that he was being over-cautious with any niggle which he suffered.

I never bought into that. The injuries always seemed to be more severe than people imagined. I recall there once being cynicism over a shin complaint- more in the mind than body, it was being said.

Two weeks later Jones appeared on crutches, his shin in plaster. It was a stress fracture. He is a strong character. He showed that as soon as he appeared on the international stage. Unlike many other Glamorgan Test debutants- myself included- he did not seem fazed by the atmosphere. Instead he revelled in it; showman qualities suddenly emerging from a previously shy character who would say very little. How he has changed for the better. He would have dearly wanted to be at the Oval in that atmosphere this week.

Talking of change, England must ensure that they do not alter the way they have played this series.

After the first Test defeat at Lord's they made a conscious decision to attack; to be positive against Shane Warne, and not let him settle. That must continue. Unless rain intervenes (the likelihood of which seems to be decreasing) I cannot see this final Test being a draw. Indeed, I was going to say that such a rivetting series does not deserve a draw, and then I remembered Old Trafford.

That wasn't bad entertainment for a draw, was it? Just relax, if you can, and enjoy. I just wish that it had not emerged that the England & Wales Cricket Board are planning an open -top bus ride around London next Tuesday, should they secure the series win. Is that tempting fate, or am I being paranoid? We shall see.

Everyone has their own story to prove that cricket is cool. Mine occurred during the final day at Trent Bridge, when I happened to be at my cousin's wedding at Speech House in the Forest of Dean. Yes, silly day to have such a celebration and I told him so. Even sillier when you realise that Channel 4 pictures are not readily accessible in that dark part of the world. To describe what we were seeing as fuzzy would be a compliment. And, of course, we were looking at these pictures fairly regularly.

Once the ceremony had been conducted, it is fair game as far as I was concerned. Speeches? You could have them at any stage of the day. However, some pressure was exerted so that I at least spend a few minutes sitting in my allotted seat at the reception. So it was while doing so that a young lady burst past screaming: "Oh my God! Flintoff has just been bowled by Brett Lee! It's a disaster!"

And there was me thinking that I attached a little too much importance to our summer game. But that was no time to be explaining that disasters occur when people are killed, not when Freddie Flintoff is castled by a brilliant nip-backer from a fired-up Lee.

That lady had a point and there was no shame in rushing out of the room to watch (through much white stuff on the screen) the concluding moments. I didn't actually see the winning runs but I'd seen enough to suggest that Ashley Giles would make the last run when I was dragged kicking and screaming back to the speeches.

At least the groom duly ended his speech with: "And I believe that we have won the cricket!"