Lives in Cricket No 4 - Ernie Jones

Jones did not have a big match in the Third Test on his home ground in Adelaide but his continuing battle with Ranjitsinhji added some spice to the England first innings after Australia had ground its way into the third day with a first innings of 573. The Indian aristocrat received some unaccustomed heckling when he came to the crease (after Jones had bowled Mason) because of his published criticisms of Jones. The parochial crowd called upon their hero ‘Jonah’ to get Ranjitsinhji out for a duck and while it was Noble who dismissed him for 6 no doubt they relished his low score. England was out for 278 in its first innings and following on made just 282. While Ranjitsinhji played superbly for 77 in support of MacLaren’s century, Jones bowled just one over because of a ricked shoulder. At this point in the series Jones had only 7 wickets at 40.57 but there was no thought of dropping him as he had turned in a brilliant display of 11 for 125 in 100-degree temperatures in a losing cause for South Australia against New South Wales immediately prior to the Adelaide Test. Richer pickings were just around the corner. The Fourth Test in Melbourne saw Clem Hill with 188 play his most brilliant Test innings on a pitch soft at one end, during which his strongest support came from Trumble in a record stand of 165 for the seventh wicket, and a further partnership of 60 with wicket-keeper Jim Kelly. For the first time in the series Jones put some value on his wicket and his 20 runs enabled 40 to be added to the total, which reached 323. Remarkably, when the Australians went into the field, Jones did not get the ball until five wickets had fallen on a dry wicket and he was the fifth bowler used after a trio of medium-pace off-spinners in Howell, Noble and Trumble and leg-spinner Trott. Immediately he gained success trapping Frank Druce leg before wicket in his second over and captured Mason, Stoddart and Hearne as well to give him 4 for 56 out of England’s 174. For the third match in a row the visitors were forced to follow on and this time Jones did open the bowling and made the initial breakthrough by getting rid of Wainwright cheaply. The second innings wickets were shared around and Jones 2 for 69 gave him match figures of 6 for 125 in Australia’s eight-wicket win which meant an unbeatable series lead to the home side. Jones gave many Herculean displays for the summer and two more came in Sheffield Shield matches against Victoria and New South Wales before the Fifth Test, particularly the second match where he scattered the stumps of his opponents eight times at the The Great Fast Bowler: 1896-1899 37