IMAGINE how frayed your nerves might be standing in the fast lane of a motorway only 22 yards from a speeding car with barely a fifth of a second to react in order to avoid collision.

That is how former England batsman Geoff Boycott once described the art of Test match batting and the dilemma facing Kent’s Geraint Jones in this week’s third and final Test with Pakistan in Lahore.

Jones won plaudits from team-mates and media pundits alike for his brave batting and wicketkeeping in the dramatic drawn Test in Faisalabad.

He took five catches, including a stunning bottom edge chance stood up off Ashley Giles, and took numerous body blows scoring his first innings 55 from 86 balls and a match-saving 30 in 94 tense minutes second time around.

It was during that second innings that Jones saw England to safety by seeing off the fastest ball of the game - a 94.7mph yorker from Shoaib Akhtar.

Speaking ahead of the Lahore Test, Jones said: "I sort of knew Shoaib’s tactics. He was bowling fairly short and trying to set me up for the fast, in-swinging yorker. I’d reduced my backlift and was concentrating hard on getting my feet on the move in case I needed to get them out of the way sharpish.

"I remember that ball so well, he was shouting soon after he’d released it because he thought he’d got through my defences. But I stayed focused, kept it out and was so pumped up that, almost instinctively, I shouted back ‘I’m still here mate'!"

Whilst delighted to have helped save the Test and kept alive England’s hopes of squaring the series, Jones puts his personal success down to hard work and endless hours of practice.

He said: "I made contributions with the bat in both innings and felt I kept consistently well, so I would say it was one of my best Test appearances.

"After being bowled twice in that first Test I worked hard on my technique and made a few adjustments with our coach Duncan Fletcher, which really helped in Faisalabad.

"Fletch has also designed this practice bat with flaps on the edges that re-creates the deft under edges you get on pitches out here. Ahead of the game we’d practiced hard on keeping to that sort of catch so I was delighted to hold on to the chance from Kamran Akmal."

As for this week’s deciding Test, Jones says pitch conditions, the outcome of the toss and the form of Pakistan skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq will prove critical.

"I felt we performed well in Faisalabad but Inzamam batted superbly and proved the difference between the sides," said Jones.

"He really does hold their batting together and, with the pitches being so flat and unresponsive, it makes it very difficult for us to force the pace.

"I hope we win the toss in Lahore and at least have the choice of what to do first. It’s certainly cooler and more overcast here and there is a little more moisture in the pitch.

"Most people think that will assist our seamers but I think it will also help our spinners as the seam might get that extra purchase on the surface. The ball was turning significantly in practice, so it might make for an exciting five days if the Test pitch behaves in a similar way."