Famous Cricketers No 63 - A.O.Jones

SEASON’S AVERAGES Batting and Fielding M I NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct St Gentlemen v Players 1 2 1 45 33 45.00 - - 1 - County Championship 16 28 2 764 127 29.38 1 6 14 - Other Notts matches 3 6 0 156 68 26.00 - - 2 - Other matches 2 4 0 88 38 22.00 - - 4 - Season 22 40 3 1053 127 28.45 1 6 21 - Career 77 134 11 2464 127 20.03 2 11 80 - Bowling O M R W BB Ave 5i 10m County Championship 280 42 1019 32 6-49 31.84 2 - Other Notts matches 22.3 0 80 7 3-41 11.42 - - Other matches 10 1 44 1 1-9 44.00 - - Season (5-b) 312.3 43 1143 40 6-49 28.57 2 - Career (5-b) 447.3 76 1541 50 6-49 30.82 2 - Oakham School Arthur Owen Jones was a master at Oakham School, in the county of Rutland, for two academic years. He commenced his duties in September 1896 and left in July 1898. There is no indication as to the subjects he taught but he was not master-in-charge of cricket or rugby. He would no doubt have taken a keen interest in the School teams and assisted with some of the coaching. His connections with Oakham School predate his employment there. The School Magazine has an account of a rugby team which he took to play against them on 24th October 1895. The A.O.Jones Esq XV contained members of the Leicester team and also some soccer players. It was far too strong for the home side and won 39-0. H.P.Atkins was the back. Arthur and his brother Frank played at three-quarter back with John Dixon. G.H.Keeton was captain of the Oakham School XV. He later became a Cambridge Blue and an England International. The School played valiantly and did well not to lose by an even larger margin. The following year, he brought over another scratch side to play the school team. The match took place at the school on 25th October. This was not such a strong XV as the previous year’s and only won 11-0. G.H.Keeton was again captain of the school side, being one of the forwards. A week later, Arthur Jones appeared with brother Frank and other Leicester players for F.H.Crumbie’s XV against the School. The visitors won by 14 point to 5, Arthur scoring one try and converting another. On 1st July 1897 Arthur Owen brought a powerful cricket team to play a 12-a-side match against the School. G.H.Keeton was also cricket captain and won the toss and he decided to bat first. A.C.Norman made 55 and Arthur Owen took 6 wickets, including two caught and bowled. Norman then had the satisfaction of taking two of the three wickets to fall, including that of John Dixon. H.B.Daft and Arthur Owen put on over 80 runs and were still undefeated when the day’s play ended. The visitors were 95 runs short but had 7 wickets in hand. At the beginning of the next academic year, Oakham School Magazine enigmatically states, “Mr A.O.Jones has left us this term, and has been succeeded by Mr H.B.Dawes, Trinity College, Cambridge.” 19