Arthur Jones (English cricketer)

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.[1]

Arthur Jones
Jones in about 1905
Personal information
Full name
Arthur Owen Jones
Born(1872-08-16)16 August 1872
Shelton, Nottinghamshire, England
Died21 December 1914(1914-12-21) (aged 42)
Dunstable, Bedfordshire, England
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight arm leg break
International information
National side
Test debut (cap 128)14 August 1899 v Australia
Last Test16 June 1909 v Australia
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1892–1914Nottinghamshire
1892–1893Cambridge University
1901London 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)

Early life

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Jones was born in 1872 in Shelton, Nottinghamshire, and educated at Bedford Modern School and Jesus College, Cambridge.[2]

Cricket career

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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.[3] 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

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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.[4]

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

References

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  1. ^ Farmer, Stuart; Hands, David. Tigers – Official history of Leicester Football Club. The Rugby DevelopmentFoundation. p. 380. ISBN 978-0-9930213-0-5.
  2. ^ "Jones, Arthur Owen (JNS891AO)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
  3. ^ "The limpet". ESPN Cricinfo. 29 July 2008. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
  4. ^ Farmer, Stuart; Hands, David. Tigers – Official history of Leicester Football Club. The Rugby DevelopmentFoundation. p. 380. ISBN 978-0-9930213-0-5.

External reference

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Sporting positions
Preceded by English national cricket captain
1907–1908
Succeeded by
Preceded by Nottinghamshire County cricket captain
1900–1914
Succeeded by