Lives in Cricket No 4 - Ernie Jones

England’s 193. On the last day Australia tried to force the pace, and a declaration at 8 for 230 left England just under four hours to make 290. The home side scrambled away from defeat while losing 7 for 155. The two things which contributed to England’s escape were the wonderful batting of Ranjitsinhji for 93 not out and the two sharp chances dropped by Darling at short leg at a critical stage of the game. Jones captured the wickets of Gunn and Storer for the second time to give him figures of 7 for 119 for the match. Jones maintained his form in the next match against MCC, at Lord’s, where he was judiciously used. Against a strong batting line-up of Grace, Pelham Warner, Gunn, Charles Townsend, Teddy Wynyard and English-based Australians Sammy Woods and Albert Trott, he captured match figures of 10 for 137, an excellent preparation for the coming Test encounter at Lord’s, although he went off the boil in the games against Cambridge University and Yorkshire. England made some startling changes for the Second Test, at Lord’s, omitting its most famous player, the 51-year-old Grace at his suggestion, along with Gunn, Hearne and Hirst, and replacing them with Archie MacLaren, who came in as captain as well as opening batsman, first-game all-rounders Gilbert Jessop and Townsend, and the Essex slow-medium bowler Walter Mead. Hill (135) and Victor Trumper (135 not out in only his second Test) made centuries for Australia but the match-winner was Jones who smashed through the English batting in each innings. A crowd of more than 30,000 saw Jones open the attack from the Nursery End on the first morning, bowling an excellent length and at great pace. MacLaren was first to fall when he drew back and tried to force Jones away to the leg side, but mistimed the attempt and had his middle stump knocked out of the ground. Ranjitsinhji made one elegant leg side stroke for five runs but shortly after got a leading edge and Jones following through made a clever return catch. ‘Jonah’s pace in that match was ‘hair-raising’ as Ranjitsinhji told Neville Cardus. ‘He caught and bowled me for 8, and the stroke was a reflex action – I saw something coming at me, and I stuck out my bat as impulsively as a man swats at a wasp!’ Two for 14 was bad enough but England lost 6 for 66 during the first session (with Grace as a spectator) and Jones had four of the wickets. Townsend was stumped off Howell at 20 and Jones then had Fry caught at slip to make the total 4 for 44. Hayward was The Great Fast Bowler: 1896-1899 45