Lives in Cricket No 4 - Ernie Jones

Chapter Five Last Days near the Top: 1903-1912 The suddenness of Jones’ leaving Adelaide suggests that his contract with the SACA had expired or was so paltry that he believed he would have improved financial prospects in Western Australia. He must have also realised that his Test days were behind him since the western state’s very limited first-class cricket prospects would prohibit him from gaining sufficient opportunities to convince Test selectors that he remained a viable force in the game. It was cricket, however, that caused Jones to become the centre of a minor controversy in April, 1903 over whether he would be eligible to represent a Combined Perth team to play a visiting Melbourne Cricket Club team since he was only a recent arrival in the state. Eventually it must have been decided that Jones was a resident who had come to stay for he was picked in the team. While appearing rusty on the first day and overusing the bumper, Jones eventually claimed 5 for 43, as well as playing a hard-hitting innings. In the 1903/04 season he represented Claremont in six matches in the Western Australian Cricket Association (WACA) grade cricket competition, with best figures of 5 for 25 against Perth, a hat-trick against North Perth, and won the best bowling average in the association with 28 wickets at 8.25. Unfortunately his season in the city was interrupted when he broke his arm in a collision with a water cart, although he quickly regained his bowling power. Jones returned to his mining background in 1904, working at Bonnie Vale on the Coolgardie goldfields while living at three addresses at Boulder (near Kalgoorlie) over the next few years. He began playing cricket as captain of Kamballie in the Goldfields Cricket Association in 1904/05 where, after a sluggish first performance against Coolgardie, his pace and bounce proved too much for the locals and, as well, he played a number of thumping innings. Towards the end of his first season he had captured 33 wickets at 9.78. 67