Alan Jones (cricketer)
Encyclopedia
Alan Jones was a Welsh
cricketer
, who played for Glamorgan
for almost a quarter of a century. He also played, for a single season each, with Western Australia
, Natal and Northern Transvaal.
runs in every English cricket season from 1961 to 1983, when he retired. In five out of six seasons from 1963 to 1968 he scored more than 1,800 runs, and he averaged in the mid 30s for most seasons. His consistency and reliability were the foundation for the Championship-winning
Glamorgan side of 1969, but were just as important in the much less successful sides of the 1970s.
A product of local cricket near Swansea
, Jones played first for Glamorgan in 1957. After two years of National Service
, he was a regular in the county side in 1960 and made 1,000 runs for the first time in 1961, winning his cap in 1962. Thereafter he was a fixture in the side until he retired at the end of the 1983 season, and his record of scoring 1,000 runs in 23 seasons has been beaten by only 10 other cricketers. His total career aggregate of 36,049 runs put him 35th on the all-time list of run-getters and is the highest of any player who did not play Test cricket
. His 56 centuries in first-class cricket is exceeded only by John Langridge
among non-Test players. In addition to these first-class runs, he also scored more than 7,000 runs in List A matches. He is the Glamorgan record holder for career runs and, jointly with Hugh Morris
, for centuries.
Jones is unique in having won a Test cap and then having had it taken away. He was picked, along with fellow opening batsman Brian Luckhurst
, to début in the first match between England
and the Rest of the World XI in 1970 after the cancellation of the South African cricket team
's tour. He scored just five and nought, dismissed by Mike Procter
in both innings, and was not picked again. The match, originally given Test status, was later ruled not to count as a Test match. All the other players who played in this series appeared in Test cricket in other series.
Jones captained Glamorgan in 1977 and 1978. He was named as a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1978, after taking the county to its first List A final in the Gillette Cup the previous season.
Jones' brother, Eifion Jones
, was Glamorgan's wicketkeeper for much of the period that Jones was the opening batsman, and his son Andrew played once in a List A match for Glamorgan.
He gained a reputation as a world-class coach, and coaches the Wales under 11's cricket team with the help of Peter Davies.
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
cricketer
Cricketer
A cricketer is a person who plays the sport of cricket. Official and long-established cricket publications prefer the traditional word "cricketer" over the rarely used term "cricket player"....
, who played for Glamorgan
Glamorgan County Cricket Club
Glamorgan County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Glamorgan aka Glamorganshire . Glamorgan CCC is the only Welsh first-class cricket club. Glamorgan CCC have won the English County...
for almost a quarter of a century. He also played, for a single season each, with Western Australia
Western Warriors
The Western Australia cricket team are an Australian first class cricket team representing the state of Western Australia...
, Natal and Northern Transvaal.
Career
Jones was a consistent, compact left-handed opening batsman who scored 1,000 first-classFirst-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
runs in every English cricket season from 1961 to 1983, when he retired. In five out of six seasons from 1963 to 1968 he scored more than 1,800 runs, and he averaged in the mid 30s for most seasons. His consistency and reliability were the foundation for the Championship-winning
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
Glamorgan side of 1969, but were just as important in the much less successful sides of the 1970s.
A product of local cricket near Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
, Jones played first for Glamorgan in 1957. After two years of National Service
National service
National service is a common name for mandatory government service programmes . The term became common British usage during and for some years following the Second World War. Many young people spent one or more years in such programmes...
, he was a regular in the county side in 1960 and made 1,000 runs for the first time in 1961, winning his cap in 1962. Thereafter he was a fixture in the side until he retired at the end of the 1983 season, and his record of scoring 1,000 runs in 23 seasons has been beaten by only 10 other cricketers. His total career aggregate of 36,049 runs put him 35th on the all-time list of run-getters and is the highest of any player who did not play Test cricket
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
. His 56 centuries in first-class cricket is exceeded only by John Langridge
John Langridge
John George Langridge was a cricketer who played for Sussex. His obituary in Wisden called him "one of the best English cricketers of the 20th century never to play a Test match"....
among non-Test players. In addition to these first-class runs, he also scored more than 7,000 runs in List A matches. He is the Glamorgan record holder for career runs and, jointly with Hugh Morris
Hugh Morris
Hugh Morris is the current managing director of England cricket, and a former Welsh cricketer, who played in three Tests for England in 1991...
, for centuries.
Jones is unique in having won a Test cap and then having had it taken away. He was picked, along with fellow opening batsman Brian Luckhurst
Brian Luckhurst
Brian William Luckhurst was an English cricketer, who played his entire county career for Kent County Cricket Club. He played for Kent from 1958 to 1976, usually opening the batting, then in 1985, in an emergency, played in one more match against the Australians. He was cricket manager from 1981...
, to début in the first match between England
English cricket team
The England and Wales cricket team is a cricket team which represents England and Wales. Until 1992 it also represented Scotland. Since 1 January 1997 it has been governed by the England and Wales Cricket Board , having been previously governed by Marylebone Cricket Club from 1903 until the end...
and the Rest of the World XI in 1970 after the cancellation of the South African cricket team
South African cricket team
The South African national cricket team represent South Africa in international cricket. They are administrated by Cricket South Africa.South Africa is a full member of the International Cricket Council, also known as ICC, with Test and One Day International, or ODI, status...
's tour. He scored just five and nought, dismissed by Mike Procter
Mike Procter
Michael John Procter is a former South African cricketer. A fast bowler and hard hitting batsman, his chances for a long and productive test career were wrecked by South Africa's banishment from world cricket in the 1970s and 1980s...
in both innings, and was not picked again. The match, originally given Test status, was later ruled not to count as a Test match. All the other players who played in this series appeared in Test cricket in other series.
Jones captained Glamorgan in 1977 and 1978. He was named as a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1978, after taking the county to its first List A final in the Gillette Cup the previous season.
Jones' brother, Eifion Jones
Eifion Jones (cricketer)
Eifion Wyn Jones was a Welsh cricketer who played for Glamorgan County Cricket Club.When he first came to Glamorgan Jones was a specialist right-handed batsman but after being tutored by Phil Clift he became their first choice keeper...
, was Glamorgan's wicketkeeper for much of the period that Jones was the opening batsman, and his son Andrew played once in a List A match for Glamorgan.
He gained a reputation as a world-class coach, and coaches the Wales under 11's cricket team with the help of Peter Davies.