Lives in Cricket No 4 - Ernie Jones

Jones was one of the suffering bowlers with 2 for 84. The second, in late-March, was due to Jones himself. It occurred when North Adelaide met Port Adelaide at the Alberton Oval and Jones, who had taken just one wicket out of Port’s 9 for 160 the previous week, failed to appear on the second Saturday. Port was dismissed for 163 to which North replied with 9 for 128 batting one man short. ‘Willow’, the cricket correspondent in the Adelaide Chronicle , took Jones to task: North Adelaide can thank Jones for spoiling their chance of the premiership this year. Owing to the absence of the fast bowler, the Ports were able to convert into a victory what would otherwise have been a draw, seeing that only two and a half minutes remained before call of time when the ninth wicket fell. Had Jones only been at the Alberton Oval, the North Adelaides would now have been tieing for top place, but he apparently preferred to watch the bicycle sports. His club mates are justly annoyed. The incident is peculiar in that Jones had bowled his heart out in a previously unblemished record for club, colony and country. He had also played for seven years under Jack Reedman’s captaincy at cricket for South Adelaide and North Adelaide, and under Reedman in football with South Adelaide. There is no indication as to why Jones let his club down, but the outcome was that he was dropped for the final match of the season. Whether he would be taken up next season remained to be seen but ‘Willow’s’ article the following week revealed the reporter to be a foolish as well as a stern critic. His claim that there are ‘better men coming along for whom places are needed; and Jones will have to show much improved form before the selectors will be justified in giving him another season’s trial’ suggests that the fast bowler had gone from go to woe in one week. Such a contention had no basis in fact. ***** When the 1900/01 season opened, the SACA no longer employed Jones as a labourer, but retained him as a ground bowler at the fees of £6 per month out of season, and £2 10s per week during the summer. As had been the case three years before, Jones proved persistent and negotiations dragged on over several months. Unfortunately, the continual wear and tear began to tell on Jones and a hip injury put paid to his first-class season after the first game against Victoria in early November. A Slow Dimming: 1900-1903 53