Arthur Jones (English cricketer)

For the Australian cricketer, see Arthur Jones (Australian cricketer).

For other people named Arthur Jones, see Arthur Jones (disambiguation).

Arthur Jones

Jones in about 1905
Personal information
Full name	Arthur Owen Jones
Born	(1872-08-16)16 August 1872 Shelton, Nottinghamshire, England
Died	21 December 1914(1914-12-21) (aged 42) Dunstable, Bedfordshire, England
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Right arm leg break
International information
National side	England
Test debut (cap 128)	14 August 1899 v Australia
Last Test	16 June 1909 v Australia
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1892–1914	Nottinghamshire
1892–1893	Cambridge University
1901	London County
Career statistics
Competition Test First-class Matches 12 472 Runs scored 291 22,935 Batting average 13.85 31.54 100s/50s 0/0 34/117 Top score 34 296 Balls bowled 228 18,116 Wickets 3 333 Bowling average 44.33 32.81 5 wickets in innings 0 8 10 wickets in match 0 1 Best bowling 3/73 8/71 Catches/stumpings 15/– 580/2
Source: Cricinfo, 11 November 2008
Rugby union career
Position(s) Full Back Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) 1895–1910 Leicester 224 (563)

Arthur Owen Jones (16 August 1872 – 21 December 1914) was an English cricketer, noted as an all-rounder, and former Captain of England. He was also a rugby union player for Leicester at full back or three quarter.

Early life

Jones was born in 1872 in Shelton, Nottinghamshire, and educated at Bedford Modern School and Jesus College, Cambridge.

Cricket career

Jones played for Cambridge University, Nottinghamshire, London County and England. He was named Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1900.

Jones was the first substitute to keep wicket in a Test match, when he did so against Australia at The Oval in 1905. He was a brilliant, sometimes impetuous, opening batsman and a leg-break and googly bowler. In 1903 he made what was then the highest-ever score by a Nottinghamshire batsman, scoring an unbeaten 296 against Gloucestershire at Trent Bridge, Nottingham. Jones played 12 Test matches for England, but lost the two games he captained. He led Nottinghamshire to the County Championship in 1907 and was captain of the 1907/08 England tour to Australia. But he only appeared in two matches because of illness. He remained captain of Nottinghamshire until a few months before his death from tuberculosis, in Dunstable, Bedfordshire.

Rugby career

Jones made 15 appearances for Bedford between 1889 and 1895 before moving to Leicester Tigers in 1895. He was appointed captain between 1896 and 1899 and then again between 1902 and 1904. He was club captain when Tigers secured their first piece silverware, the Midlands Counties Cup, though missed the final through injury. He was captain in the victorious finals of 1899, 1903 and 1904 and played in the victorious final of 1900 and 1901. He became the first player to pass 500 points for the club against Moseley in 1903.

Between 1906 and 1912 he refereed 5 rugby internationals, including France's first test victory against Scotland in 1911.

External reference

• Media related to Arthur Jones (cricketer) at Wikimedia Commons