Famous Cricketers No 63 - A.O.Jones

1914 Nottinghamshire came tenth in the Championship, winning 5 matches and losing 5. Their lowly position was not to be wondered at, considering the variety of leadership they experienced. The batting was strong but the bowlers could not regularly dismiss sides within the time or runs allowed. They were reminiscent of the team which Arthur Owen had taken over at the beginning of the Edwardian period. His friends were shocked and upset at his appearance. Consumption made him look wasted away and extremely ill. His enthusiasm and energy, which had fired his team, was gone. He showed great determination in his play, but it was obvious to those around him that the end could not be far off. Arthur Owen was 41 years old at the beginning of the season and was well beyond the age at which present day cricketers hang up their bats and find themselves a less physically demanding occupation. In those times, amateurs and professionals alike played on until their skills evaporated because cricket was either their calling or their livelihood. In the first match of the season, against MCC, Nottinghamshire got off to a flying start. On the first day, Lee and Whysall made centuries, while Iremonger and Jones put on 98 in the last 70 minutes of play. A.O. recaptured some of his old style of batting. Fred Barratt, the right arm fast bowler who was making his first-class debut, took 8 for 91. Unaccountably, he was not asked to bowl when MCC followed on and they were able to bat out time. Arthur Owen played in the first five Championship matches. In his last appearance at Trent Bridge, he batted brilliantly, putting on 81 runs with Tom Wass in 55 minutes for the eighth wicket. In his final first-class match, against Hampshire, he took the last of his catches. When he came in the Nottinghamshire score was 59 for 7. He put on 60 with Iremonger in a fine display of hitting. It is entirely appropriate that his last appearance for his county should be in the company of the man with whom he had achieved so much during his years as captain. Four other people captained Nottinghamshire this season. James Iremonger took over for one match and Dr Gauld led against Middlesex. The Committee then called upon Philip Pearson-Gregory, who had played once for Nottinghamshire in 1910, to captain the next two matches. He played no further first-class cricket. Dr Gauld returned for the Derbyshire match before the captaincy was entrusted to Arthur William Carr for two matches. George Gauld returned for two matches, A.W.Carr lead against Surrey and Gauld was captain against Hampshire. James Iremonger resumed the captaincy for the last four matches of the season. Dr Gauld, incidentally, led Nottinghamshire against the Australian Imperial Forces in 1919. His whole first-class career consists of the 14 occasions on which he captained his county. After years of charismatic leadership, the Nottinghamshire team found themselves bereft and rudderless. They were dispirited and their performances were lack-lustre. Own Team O M R W Opp Ct Total Total 467. Nottinghamshire v MCC, Lord’s, May 6, 7, 8 (Match drawn) (captain) b J.W.H.T.Douglas 66 474 280 1 137-7 468. Nottinghamshire v Sussex, Trent Bridge, May 14, 15, 16 (Nottinghamshire won by nine wickets) (captain) c H.P.Chaplin b R.R.Relf 11 166 176 did not bat - 193-1 182 469. Nottinghamshire v Derbyshire, Chesterfield, May 23, 25, 26 (Derbyshire won by 5 runs) (captain, lost toss) b A.Morton 7 226 177 c G.Beet b T.Forester 1 143 197 1 470. Nottinghamshire v Surrey, Trent Bridge, June 1, 2, 3 (Match drawn) (captain) c H.Strudwick b J.W.Hitch 40 281 247 did not bat - 196-4 333-7d 471. Nottinghamshire v Lancashire, Old Trafford, June 4, 5, 6 (Match drawn) (captain) c and b L.W.Cook 18 405 283 2 196-6 472. Nottinghamshire v Hampshire, Southampton, June 8, 9, 10 (Match drawn) (captain, lost toss) c W.H.Livsey b E.R.Remnant 33 143 246 1 did not bat - 244-5 248 79