Dark days Down Under. A thoroughly depressing week all round.

England may have shown admirable spirit and character to fight back on day two of the First Test but that apart it has been one long tale of woe, I'm afraid.

Simon Jones' injury is obviously central to this. It is just the most unbelievably unfortunate accident to befall a young man on his first Ashes tour and in only his second Test. What's more he was nearing the peak of his form.

He had been slowly building up his pace in the warm-up games and was just beginning to let the Aussies know that he was a serious force to be reckoned with. And then.....

Fast bowlers from days gone by may well tut-tut at their modern- day counterparts who slide and dive around in the field, but that is the way things are done these days and the game is all the better for the increased athleticism and mobility.

However, a regulation slide turned into a nightmare. I'm sure all those who witnessed the accident found themselves wincing in pain just as I did when I arose last Thursday morning. God knows what Simon was going through.

I was glad that I managed to get hold of him at his hotel that evening (mid morning our time) and have a chat with him. He was clearly gutted, but I'm not sure the entire enormity of the situation had hit home to him at that stage. That may well take a while - maybe not even until he has returned home for an operation.

Then he will probably fully realise the long rehabilitation which faces him - the months of agonisingly tedious exercises, the days when there seem to be no improvement.

It is going to be difficult. I know how difficult it has been for me with my catalogue of injuries but they are nothing compared to the severity of Simon's mishap.

At least the success rate of knee reconstruction operations is now very high and there is every likelihood Simon will return to cricket at some stage next season, but just when is difficult to gauge.

People have asked me how big a blow it is to Glamorgan cricket. I think it is a much bigger blow to English cricket. If I am honest, we had resigned ourselves to being without Simon for much of next season anyway.

Had he played as we know he can in Australia there was no doubt in my mind he would have secured a central contract for next summer and therefore would not have been with us much anyway.

As it is, I can envisage him playing a couple of games for us mid season in order to prove his fitness before being whisked off again by England.

He has made a lasting impression on the England management since he became involved last summer and it is clear they view a fully fit Simon Jones as a major part of their future.

Meanwhile, England face an uncertain time as regards the make up of their bowling attack. Darren Gough has now returned home with a cloud hanging over his whole career, while Matthew Hoggard has looked ineffective.

Chris Silverwood has been called up and I am just hoping and praying that this is not another gamble from the selectors.

The last time I saw Chris was in early September, just after the C&G Trophy Final in which he had just about managed to bowl - courtesy of three pain killing injections. He was hobbling around, waiting to have an ankle operation. Surely they have checked on his fitness!

If he is fit he will not let them down for he is a whole-hearted operator who has been a little unlucky on the international front after impressing on tour in South Africa a few winters ago.

Whatever, the Ashes is over in many people's eyes already. I think that is rather premature but I can understand the pessimism, especially after England's second innings capitulation.

It will be extremely hard for Nasser Hussain and Duncan Fletcher to rouse their troops from now on but I am sure they can. They must stress that the Australians themselves revealed some weaknesses in that First Test.

They must prey on Justin Langer's recent lack of a big score; the feeling that Darren Lehmann is unsure that he belongs; and Steve Waugh's uncertainty at the crease, as well as the side's fielding.

But above all they must believe in themselves.

They have made good strides over the last couple of years and it would be criminal to allow the wheels to come off now.