Famous Cricketers No 63 - A.O.Jones

the on-side and bowled persistently a foot wide of the leg stump. He used eight bowlers during this innings. This was one of the few occasions on which A.O.Jones deliberately set out to save a match. His usual philosophy was to attempt a win, no matter how dire the circumstances. His tactics in this match were copied a year later by W.W.Armstrong, as a strategy for containing the English batting. There was nothing illegal in the procedure, but both instances did arouse adverse comment among the spectators. Arthur Owen was invited to play for the Gentlemen against the Players at Lord’s. His team won a famous victory, having been outplayed on the first innings. They dismissed the Players for a reasonable second innings total and were set 412 to win. Ranjitsinhji made a glorious century. A batting collapse followed, until Jones and B.J.T.Bosanquet added 40 for the seventh wicket. A.O. and the last man were together with 12 runs needed. While his partner, Hesketh-Prichard, played with a straight bat, Arthur Owen won the match with glorious off-drives. In the next home match, against Leicestershire, Arthur Owen scored another fine century, batting for 140 minutes without giving a chance. During this innings, Jones passed 1,000 runs for the season. He scored 16 fours, mostly by driving and cutting. He was out, caught in the slips attempting yet another drive. He put on 96 with Iremonger in the first innings and 99 in the second with John Gunn. This was good preparation for the next home match, against Gloucestershire. Unfortunately for Nottinghamshire, Gilbert Jessop was in his most devastating form. He scored 206, his only Championship century of the season, in less than two and a half hours and Gloucestershire made the highest score then recorded against Nottinghamshire. Jones and Iremonger batted cautiously and put on 102 for the first wicket but Notts were required to follow on. The pair went in again and put on 122 by the end of the second day. They took their stand to 303 before they were parted, playing attacking cricket and forcing the pace. This is still the highest stand made by Nottinghamshire openers at Trent Bridge. Arthur Owen batted defiantly and was caught on the boundary. His innings contained 28 fours. This was the second, and last, time that Jones and Iremonger put on opening century partnerships in each innings of a match. The home team should have saved the game but all ten wickets fell in the space of 90 runs. Arthur Owen had four partnerships of over 50 in the next three matches. Against Leicestershire, he batted with splendid judgement on a damaged wicket but had the misfortune to split his hand while fielding at cover point. He scored his fifth and last century of the season against Essex at Leyton. The home side batted until nearly two o’clock on the second day. F.L.Fane made his only century of the season, C.P.McGahey made the highest Essex score against Notts and C.P.Buckenham, batting at No 10, made the first of the two centuries he scored in his career. In reply, Notts were 400 short on the first innings and followed on. Jones then put on 70 for the first wicket with Iremonger and 234 with George Gunn for the third. Arthur Owen played a brilliant, free hitting innings to ensure a draw. He hit J.W.H.T.Douglas out of the ground for the first six recorded at Leyton that year. He hit 5 consecutive fours off H.A.Carpenter in one over. Jones punished the loose bowling and gave no chances. The last home match of the season was against Middlesex. Nottinghamshire gave a fine display of batting on the first day. The first three batsmen, Jones, with Iremonger and John Gunn, got the innings off to a brisk start. Rev. Harvey Staunton, batting at number six, made 78, his highest first-class score. B.J.T.Bosanquet took six wickets. The visitors gained a first innings lead, mainly due to James Douglas and Pelham Warner putting on 306 for the first wicket in three hours. This was the first opening partnership of 300 against Nottinghamshire and remained the record for 43 years. Bosanquet took a further six wickets and Middlesex were left 54 to win. Arthur Owen Jones and James Iremonger finished fourth and fifth respectively in the season’s batting averages and scored 11 centuries between them. There was no major overseas tour during the winter and this is probably just as well for Arthur Owen’s point of view. If he had been invited to tour, he would have missed the birth of his first child, a girl, who was named Phyllis Owen. She was born on the 22nd November 1904. The family address on the birth certificate is in Hound Road and her father’s occupation is given as “Insurance Secretary.” 46