Famous Cricketers No 63 - A.O.Jones

Rhodes. He was out after 150 minutes with the score on 189. An interruption for rain and indifferent batting by the rest of the team meant that a draw was inevitable. In their away win over Leicestershire, played for the Benefit of J.H.King, Nottinghamshire had the best of the weather conditions. Jones and George Gunn put on 59 for the second wicket while Hardstaff made the only century of the match. The home side made 72 without loss before the end of the first day’s play. Overnight rain radically altered the nature of the pitch and all ten wickets fell for a further 134 runs. William Riley, the slow left arm medium bowler took five wickets. Hardstaff and Payton put on over a hundred runs for the fourth wicket, allowing Jones to declare. Thomas Jayes made 87 out of 112 in 55 minutes, but no one else scored more than 20. Arthur Owen’s third and last century of the season was made in the home win against Lancashire. This was ample revenge for the defeat they had suffered earlier in the season at Old Trafford. Jones put on 73 runs with George Gunn for the second wicket and 98 in an hour with Payton for the third. He hit superbly on the off-side and gave no chance until.he had passed his hundred. He gave a wonderful display of cuts drives and leg-glances before he was fourth out with the score on 203. Payton also made a century and John Gunn made 93 not out, his highest score of the season. Nottinghamshire batted for all of the first day but the match ended on the second with an hour to spare. J.T.Tyldesley made 77 during the Lancashire first innings but only Makepeace made it into double figures as well. The visitors followed on but were not much more successful in their second innings. Tom Wass took 13 wickets altogether in the match. In the home match against Northamptonshire, Notts were anxious for a win to compensate for three recent defeats at their hands. Despite resolute batting by Jones in both innings, rain made the draw inevitable. Going in first, he put on 76 runs with Payton in 45 minutes for the third wicket. He was out with the total on 129, after 90 minutes. Wass took 6 Northamptonshire wickets for 44 runs. In the second innings, Jones and Payton again had the biggest stand. Jones was 4th out at 114, having played forcing strokes all around the wicket. Rained cut short the last afternoon, with the home team having the better of the match. C.P.McGahey, the Essex captain, gambled and lost when he put Notts in to bat at Trent Bridge. Arthur Owen and George Gunn put on 112 for the first wicket in 90 minutes. Arthur Owen hit one 6 and 10 fours. This was the last of Jones’ opening century partnerships. Five Essex wickets fell on the second day for 79 runs before A.J.Turner, another past pupil of Bedford Modern School, made the only century of the match. The Notts first innings lead of 65 was augmented by a first wicket stand by Jones and George Gunn of 52 in 40 minutes. When Gunn was out for 98, Jones declared and set Essex 346 to win. Only J.W.H.T.Douglas made double figures. Iremonger bowled with such accuracy that in 15 overs, 9 of which were maidens, he conceded 7 runs and took 6 wickets. Nottinghamshire won both of their last two matches. The home season ended, as so often, with Middlesex being the visitors. Wass bowled Warner with the first ball of the match and 7 Middlesex batsmen were out for 70 runs. Nottinghamshire had a first innings lead of 40 and Iremonger took 7 for 35 to set the home team 73 to win. Six wickets fell in the process but Jones was in with Oates when the winning runs were hit, just before the rain set in. Despite 16 wickets having already fallen in the first day’s play in the win over Gloucestershire, Jones and Whysall played bright attractive cricket to put on 42 before stumps. A.W.Carr made his first-class debut in this match. He later commented that A.O.Jones was far from well in this match but spoke very highly of him. Own Team O M R W Opp Ct Total Total 400. Nottinghamshire v MCC, Lord’s, May 4, (5), 6 (Match drawn) (captain) c S.R.de la P.Beresford b G.J.Thompson 42 153 159 1 401. Nottinghamshire v Surrey, Trent Bridge, May 16, 17 (Nottinghamshire won by 127 runs) (captain, won toss) c W.C.Smith b W.S.Lees 6 69 65 b W.C.Smith 72 219 96 70