Lives in Cricket No 4 - Ernie Jones

In his first game with North Adelaide, in the reorganised SACA electorate-based competition in 1897/98, he was in devastating form, taking 6 for 1 as West Torrens were sent in to bat at the Neutral Ground and dismissed for 10 runs, the third lowest score in the history of senior Adelaide association, district and grade cricket. Jones made a double breakthrough in his first over and fright set in. The procession of falling wickets represented a mournful array and Jones’ remarkable over-by-over analysis is reproduced as follows: w…w. …… ..w.w. ….ww …..1 The only run came from his final ball! By now Jones was at the peak of his powers and there was no question that he would lead a varied Australian attack in the coming Test series. The only question concerned a bend of the elbow. Throwing accusations were raised again when umpire Jim Phillips found fault with Jones in the first match played in Australia at Adelaide Oval against Andrew Stoddart’s touring English team of 1897/98. Phillips, however, called just one ball of the 327 delivered by Jones when taking 7 for 189 out of England’s 475 against South Australia. This was the most important element of the game. It was more newsworthy than the masterly batting of Clem Hill in his innings of 200 on the first day, or Ranjitsinhji’s 32 The Great Fast Bowler: 1896-1899 Formality. A family photograph with his wife Eliza (left), son Ernest jun, and daughter Mary Lillian, taken in about 1916.