England drop Jones for fourth Ashes test

MELBOURNE, Dec 26 (Reuters) England dropped wicketkeeper Geraint Jones for the fourth Ashes test against Australia starting at the Melbourne Cricket Ground today.

Jones was replaced by Chris Read in the only change to the team that lost last week's third test in Perth by 206 runs to concede the Ashes.

Australia retained the same side that won the last match to wrap up the series with two games to go, with Mitchell Johnson again named 12th man.

Read, 28, has played just 13 tests for England since making his debut more than seven years ago but got his chance after Jones made a pair of ducks in Perth.

Teams: Australia - Ricky Ponting (captain), Justin Langer, Matthew Hayden, Mike Hussey, Michael Clarke, Andrew Symonds, Adam Gilchrist, Shane Warne, Brett Lee, Stuart Clark, Glenn McGrath, Mitchell Johnson (12th man).

England: Andrew Flintoff (captain), Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook, Ian Bell, Paul Collingwood, Kevin Pietersen, Chris Read, Sajid Mahmood, Matthew Hoggard, Steve Harmison, Monty Panesar, James Anderson (12th man).

Umpires: Aleem Dar (Pakistan), Rudi Koertzen (South Africa).

Reuters MQA VP0615