KENT wicketkeeper Geraint Jones transformed his status of Lord’s villain into Ashes hero in Birmingham by holding the catch that sealed England’s tightest ever win over Australia.

The gloveman from Chartham, near Canterbury, tumbled to his left to claim the catch off the gloves of last man Michael Kasprowicz that clinched the two-run victory that levels the series going into Thursday’s third rubber in Manchester.

Jones, the subject of intense media criticism following his two dropped catches in the opening Test, showed his battling qualities by punching the air toward the Edgbaston press box after emerging triumphant with the match-winning catch.

"It was probably the most important one I’ve ever taken so it was a very happy moment," said Jones after a hard morning’s work in which wides and byes eluded him, but not the critical last-gasp catch.

"There was no doubt in my mind that he was out, then the celebrations started and the boys went a little bit mad.

"That’s all part of it, I knew they (the England bowlers) would be attacking the stumps and a full one from Steve kept low then one of Freddie’s hit the footmarks and went up and over me.

"Test cricket is a test, it was definitely a test this morning a real nail-biter, so it was fantastic to take that final catch and get a win for the boys because we’d put in such a great effort all week."

England have named an unchanged squad for the third Test at old Trafford later this week.