Geraint Jones' position in England's team is in serious danger after the wicketkeeper's double failure with the bat in the third Ashes Test in Perth.

Although his keeping has been sound this series, Jones registered a pair at the WACA Ground as Australia regained the Ashes, and he has now gone four innings on tour without scoring a run.

The Welshman's batting was what earned him a place in the side at the start of the series, but his string of poor form - he has managed only 63 runs at 10.50 - has him poised to be axed for Chris Read in the fourth Test in Melbourne which starts Boxing Day.

England coach Duncan Fletcher acknowledged Jones' efforts at No.7 this series had not been good enough, especially as he was preferred over Read to bolster the tourists' long tail.

That same argument helped earn spinner Ashley Giles a place in the team over Monty Panesar, who took eight wickets in Perth when finally given a go.

Jones blew the chance to post a fighting innings when he carelessly failed to get his toe behind the crease and was run out by Australian captain Ricky Ponting, who was fielding in close.

His wicket was the second in a fall of 5-14, and Fletcher conceded the lower-order batting needed addressing.

"People have some problem areas, there's no doubt about it," he said.

"You look at Jones, he hasn't got the runs that we like and that is the one (which) showed how we folded yesterday.

"That is what we talk about, batting in depth. It's very, very important.

"We were putting up a very good performance yesterday (when Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen were batting together), and suddenly it can just run away from you if you don't bat in depth.

"Our guys didn't get the runs that we required yesterday."

While Jones continues to struggle with the willow, Read has improved as a batsman over the past year.

His past three Test scores are 33, 53 and 38 and he scored an unbeaten half-century in the tour match against Western Australia in the lead-up to the third Test.

Should England replace Jones with Read, widely regarded as a superior keeper, the team will closely resemble the side which beat Pakistan 3-0 in the northern summer.

That is likely to give Fletcher's critics further evidence he should have stuck with the same side that was successful in England's last Test series before it arrived in Australia.

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