Famous Cricketers No 63 - A.O.Jones

his death had a devastating effect, not only on the cricket watching public but also on the current Nottinghamshire team, to whom he had been both mentor and father figure. The match against Sussex, at Hove, was abandoned on the news of his suicide. Triumph came within the week. In the drawn home match with Leicestershire, Arthur Owen and John Iremonger put on 141 for the first wicket. William Gunn and his nephew, John, put on 369 for the third wicket. Their stand beat the previous record for this wicket. It is still the county record for a third wicket stand. William Gunn made a century and John scored 294 runs, establishing a new County record. On the second morning, he added a hundred runs to his overnight score and J.A.Dixon also scored 104* before lunch. The first batsman to be dismissed for single figures was Rev Harvey Staunton, batting at number five. He was a master at Dunstable Grammar School and brother-in-law to Headmaster Thring. Nottinghamshire amassed the total of 739 for 7 declared. This is still the highest innings total by a Nottinghamshire team and the largest score made at Trent Bridge. In reply, the visitors were dismissed for 231 and were asked to follow on. At the start of the third day, they were still 494 runs behind with all their second innings wickets in hand. Nottinghamshire must have anticipated a win, but it was not to be. Triumph came in the home match against Lancashire, where Arthur Owen scored a century in each innings. This was the only first-class occasion on which he achieved this feat. He was only the second Nottinghamshire player to achieve this, Arthur Shrewsbury had scored a century in each innings the year before, against Gloucestershire. As in many other matches at Trent Bridge this season, the wicket was so easy that even the best of bowlers struggled to take wickets. Jones scored a century before lunch, being 112 not out at the interval. This was the first time a Nottinghamshire player had achieved this on the first day of a match. Jones batted brilliantly and hit 23 fours, mostly by cutting and driving. Iremonger and he put on 205 for the first wicket, hardly giving a chance. Jones and William Gunn then put on 102 for the next wicket. R.H.Spooner made 247 for the visitors. His off-driving was particular delightful and his score was the highest at that time against Nottinghamshire. A.O. batted superbly for a second time, putting on 137 with William Gunn for the second wicket and 75 with J.R.Gunn for the third. Jones scored 11 fours and gave no chances before he was caught at point. 23 wickets fell for an average of more than 50 runs each. Triumph might have come, against all the odds, in the away match against Yorkshire. There had been some overnight rain and so Arthur Owen, on winning the toss, took the bold step of asking the home team to bat first. Had Wass been on form, the gamble might just have paid off. Tom Wass bowled 23 overs for no wickets, Hallam took 7 for 101, and Yorkshire occupied the pitch for all of the first day, making a reasonable total. Nottinghamshire lost their first 5 wickets for 84 runs. They only avoided the follow-on thanks to the partnership between Mr Dixon and George Gunn. When Lord Hawke declared the second innings closed, Nottinghamshire were set an impossible task on a sticky wicket. The visitors made no attempt to save the match hitting out in an entertaining but reckless way. They were all out in just over the hour, only Jones and Hallam making double figures. Triumph came in the home match against Gloucestershire. Arthur Owen started, unusually, in uncertain fashion till he had 50 on the board and then began to hit all around the wicket in his most brilliant style. He and Iremonger put on 107 for the first wicket, of which his partner made 44. Iremonger was run out when Jones attempted a quick run against Jessop who was fielding in the covers. The runs continued to come as he and William Gunn put on 235 for the second, Gunn making 76. This is still the record second wicket partnership between these two counties. There followed a fourth wicket stand of 90 with George Gunn, the younger brother of John, who made 33. At close of play on the first day, the score stood at 450 for 3 with Jones on 280* His first 100 had come in 125 minutes and his second in 95 minutes. The last 80 runs had been scored in 100 minutes. He had batted faultlessly apart from one chance when he was on 143. On the second morning he soon passed the record recently set by John Gunn and must have hoped to be the first Nottinghamshire player to score 300, but it was not to be. He lashed out at a ball wide of the off stump, attempting a cut to the boundary, but was caught at second slip. He batted for six hours and hit 36 4’s. These came mostly from straight drives, late cuts and the pull shot. His county record score stood for 36 years, until it was passed for the first and only time when W.W.Keeton made 312 not out against Middlesex. The match took place at the Oval as Lord’s was hosting the Eton v Harrow game. Jones’ 296 is still the highest 41