Cricket 1896

“ Together joined in Cricket’s manly toil.”— Byron. no. 4is. v o l . xv, THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 1896. p r ic e aa. M R . A. 0 . JONES. Though his experience of first-class cricket does not extend to a longer period than three seasons, Mr. A. O. Jones has already proved himself a useful member of his (County) eleven. Educated at the Bedford Modern School, he took a double first there as a cricketer as well as a football player. His proficiency indeed, as an all-round athlete at Bedford reasonably created great hopes that he would make a name for himself in higher and wider fields of sport. Going into residence at Cambridge at the end of 1891, he had an imme­ diate opportunity of proving his capacity as a cricketer. The chance came in the Fresh­ men’s match of 1892. Fortune placed him under the watchful eye of that keen player Mr. F. S. Jackson, the captain of the University eleven. Mr. A. J. L. Hill had charge of the other side of Freshmen and though there was at the time no lack of likely candi­ dates for the vacancies in the Cambridge team, Mr. Jones showed himself to be one of the best. In both innings he got double figures, but his chief success was in the second when he made fifty-three in very creditable style and by free and taking cricket. The excellent show he made in this, his first game, naturally assured him another trial. The match between the First Twelve and Next Sixteen was played late that season, so that it was the end of May before he had another chance. This time he was only partially successful, although, even then, he did fairly well again in his last innings with a useful score of twenty, not out. His compara­ tive failure, all the same, destroyed any chance of his blue that year, for it was his last appearance in University cricket in 1892. Still, his promise as an all-round cricketer had been fully recognized by the Cambridge authorities. The Seniors’ match of 1893, too, showed him once more to be a useful and reliable batsman. There, again, though there was a fair amount of promise, he acquitted himself well, and curiously as before, in the second innings. His score of 38, at least, was good enough to socure him a place in the University eleven, though only moderately successful with the bat, he played in all the matches. Against Oxford he made 16 not out in the second innings, and his best score was his 32 v. M.C.C. and Ground at Lord’s. Mean­ while he had been representing Notts with better results. His first appearance for his county was one of distinct success. This was against Lancashire, on June 16, 1892, and for a young player, new to first-class cricket, particularly against such bowling as Briggs and Mold, scores of seventeen, not out, and thirty-eight, represented a performance of great promise. That it happened, was his one success, and, in fact, his best innings, in the four other matches he played in 1892 was one of seventeen against Middlesex. Nor did his record for Notts, in 1893, confirm the hopes of his first trial for the County. Though he began fairly enough with twenty-eight, and against Lancashire, as before, he was dead out of luck during the rest of the season, and his best score was one of 38 against Surrey at the Oval. Still, even in the face of his ill success, as a batsman, his cricket had otherwise been of considerable use to the team. In the field he had been always reliable, at short slip even brilliant. His appearances in first-class cricket in 1894 were very few, in fact, only five in number. His two best innings were at the end of the season and both on the Trent Bridge Ground. On each occasion he did well for his aggregate for the four innings showed 98, with one not out. His forty- one against Kent in the last fixture of the year was the outcome of very free cricket, perhaps the best display he had so far given for the County. Though he com­ menced last summer inaus- piciously with a score of only three in the huge innings of 726, made by Notts against Sussex, he established his reputation during the sea­ son as a really good all-round cricketer. How well he scored throughout the year can be judged by the fact, that he was fourth in the batting averages of Notts, with an aggregate of 720. He took part, altogether, in eighteen innings, which, Mu. A . O. J ones .