PERTH, Oct 31 AAP - The England cricket team will fly to Brisbane today with renewed belief for the upcoming Ashes series after a much improved showing in a three-day tour match against Western Australia.

The tourists ran out of time to win the tour match falling just five runs short in a thrilling final session, being stranded at 5-130, after chasing 135 to win from 20 overs.

Quick Simon Jones' five-wicket haul and the early form of opener Robert Key, a late replacement for Graham Thorpe (missed tour for personal reasons), should be encouraging for England.

Jones persisted on a flat WACA track and ended up taking 5-78 while Key's unbeaten 59 was nearly enough for the tourists to snatch an unlikely win.

The 23-year-old Key scored 33 in the opening innings and 68 in the opening tour match against an ACB Chairman's XI and looks a fine strokeplayer.

England has a three-day tour match against Queensland starting Saturday in Brisbane before the opening Ashes Test.

Much interest will centre around whether allrounder Andy Flintoff and opener Michael Vaughan will be fit to play with a hit-out before the opening Test on Thursday almost considered mandatory.

Flintoff is recovering from a hernia operation while Vaughan also has been unable to play since a minor knee operation last month.

Spearhead Darren Gough, who has not played a Test match for more than 12 months, is considered highly unlikely to be fit for the Gabba Test.

But Welshman Jones said the team had taken confidence out of the three-day match against the Warriors after a sub-par opening week.

"I think we done very well to get within five runs," Jones said.

"Robert Key played outstandingly well I thought, he's been in great nick for most of the tour."

Jones said despite being unable to register its first win of the tour, the England touring party was upbeat after the match.

"There's a great feeling in the camp, definitely," he said.

© 2002 AAP

This report does not necessarily represent the views of the Australian Cricket Board.