Lives in Cricket No 4 - Ernie Jones

Although the openers were removed, the score was 2 for 46 when play ceased. Stormy weather continued at Headingley and four days later the Australians recorded an even lower batting score (23) in the second innings of a five-wicket loss to Yorkshire. This time Rhodes didn’t even get the ball as Hirst (5 for 9) and Jackson (5 for 12) completed the task. Jones was superfluous in such conditions and bowled just 23 overs for three cheap wickets in the three games leading up to the Lord’s Test. For this match England kept an unchanged side but the tourists were without Trumble, and Howell, Darling and Noble were suffering from influenza. Saunders had tonsilitis. The Second Test was delayed by appalling weather on the first day and, when it eventually began at a quarter-to-three, the loss of two wickets for no runs vividly recalled the Birmingham match. Jones and Hopkins opened the bowling to MacLaren and Fry, and in Hopkins’ first over Fry made a feeble stroke to a ball well up on his legs, which he should have dispatched to the boundary. Instead he turned it gently into Hill’s hands at short leg. Then Ranjitsinhji was completely defeated by Hopkins, the batsman touching the ball on A Slow Dimming: 1900-1903 62 Time to spare. Jones playing euchre with fellow South Australians Joe Darling and Clem Hill in the wet English summer of 1902.