Lives in Cricket No 4 - Ernie Jones

cricket—doubtful as to its fairness. Whereas now, as we saw him bowl in the first match, his action constituted in every sense, a fair and square ‘chuck’. In this he was inconsistent both regarding what he had written in his earlier Jublilee Book of Cricket where he labelled Jones and McKibbin from the Australian 1896 touring side as unfair bowlers whom the umpires should have no-balled, and within the Review article itself. Whether Jones deserved to be called is a moot point. Moody in the South Australian Register thought that the doubtful bowlers in England should have been the first to be no-balled rather than an example being made of Jones, but then Moody was writing about a player from his own colony. During the next match between South Australia and Victoria in Adelaide a fortnight later the discussion about Jones’ bowling was resumed. The Victorians watched his delivery very closely in the first innings when he took 5 for 79, and though he bowled at his top pace, the vast majority of opinion was satisfied with his action. One player thought it had changed from the previous season, others considered there was no noticeable difference, and the visitors’ umpire, Bob Crockett, saw nothing suspicious. Moody commented that he watched Jones’ arm carefully and could not detect a jerk which the law proscribed. When Jones was asked whether he would consent to be filmed by a cinematograph, which it was believed, would determine beyond dispute if he threw the ball, he agreed. Unfortunately, however, a camera could not be procured. A prediction that little more would be heard about objections to Jones’ delivery was wide of the mark. A contention was that the effect of umpire Phillips’ action was to direct attention to Tom Richardson’s arm when he bowled his extra-fast ball with an off-break, and that he would be at risk of being no-balled if Jones was called again. Richardson remained the subject of murmurs only. 1897/98 Test Series Jones was an automatic selection for the First Test in Sydney and he let the ball go at great pace, making the first breakthrough when he bowled Jack Mason for 6 and immediately struck new batsman Tom Hayward a crippling blow on the shin which brought Mason’s immediate return to run for him. Jones was later punished by both 34 The Great Fast Bowler: 1896-1899