Lives in Cricket No 4 - Ernie Jones

out early there were useful contributions from Townsend, Lockwood, Arthur Jones and Lilley, which took the total to 576, the highest score to date in Test matches in England. The Australian bowling figures were not flattering but the pitch became tamer as time went on. Jones bowled 53 overs for figures of 4 for 164 and the wickets of Jackson, Ranjitsinhji, Fry and Townsend to gain the best return. Australia’s task was now to occupy the crease for the remainder of the match and this they achieved. While they were in some danger at 4 for 120, strong batting by Darling and 117 by Gregory was chiefly responsible for a reply of 352. Then half-centuries by Worrall (his second for the match), Noble and McLeod in the second innings saw them safely home with the loss of five wickets. There remained six first-class games after the Fifth Test, and curiously (or stupidly) Jones played in all of them, producing astonishing form to finish with innings figures of 7 for 40 against Middlesex at Lord’s, 5 for 35 versus C.I.Thornton’s Eleven at Scarborough, and 7 for 101 against the South of England at Hastings. Such performances must have impressed the English counties, but a rumour circulated by various newspapers that he had been retained by Sussex for five seasons at £380 a year was strictly that, and was swiftly discounted by Jones who replied: ‘First I’ve heard of it: wouldn’t stop in this beloved country for £1,000 a year.’ Jones enjoyed another outstanding English tour with 135 wickets at 21.10, finishing second on the tour aggregates behind Hugh Trumble and third in the averages after Trumble and Bill Howell. He took five wickets in an innings on ten occasions and ten wickets in a match four times. Jones displayed excellent form in the Test matches in a series Australia won one-nil. He went on to take 26 wickets at 25.27 to put him well ahead of Trumble (15 wickets) for Australia, and double the tallies of leading Englishmen, Wilfred Rhodes and Jack Hearne. He was effectively the difference between the sides and an appreciative notice of him in Cricket commented that he was ‘absolutely without rival’ as a fast bowler. The writer went on to say that Jones had also developed an action which defied any critics who might try to label him a thrower. The Great Fast Bowler: 1896-1899 49