Arthur Owen Jones

Image: Arthur Owen Jones [Wikipedia]

Monday 21st December 1914: Even during the tragedy of a great European war it is sad to report the death of a sporting icon. Mr Arthur Owen Jones, the Cambridge University, Nottinghamshire and England cricketer died today at his brother's home, Lanark House, in High Street South, Dunstable, of tuberculosis at the age of 42. An otherwise fit young man he never recovered from pneumonia contracted on a tour of Australia in 1907/8 when captaining the English tourists.

He was born on 16th August 1872 at the rectory in Shelton [Nottinghamshire] and in 1881 went to Bedford Modern School, captaining the First XI in his final three years. He first came out for Nottinghamshire in 1892 and got his blue at Cambridge in that year and 1893.

He was a wonderfully free hitting right handed batsman, a useful bowler of leg-breaks and a magnificent fielder close to the wicket, the latter, perhaps, being his chief glory. He is said to have invented the position of gully and brought of many remarkable diving catches in that position. As a leader of men he was an all-impelling personality, leading an unfancied Nottinghamshire to the County Championship in 1907. On the back of this he was chosen to captain the England tourists to Australia the following winter. He had first played for his country as long ago as 1899, playing in all five tests on the Australia tour of 1901/02 and two tests in 1905. He only played in two tests of that 1907/08 tour because of the pneumonia he contracted and played twice more for England in 1909.

It may be fairly said that he failed at the highest level, but that failure sprang from a thoroughly unselfish attitude believing that, as captain, he should set an example and score his runs quickly leading to being out before he had got himself set.

An all-round sportsman A O Jones will be remembered by Bedfordians more for his rugby exploits. Whilst at school he played for Bedford and it was a very unfortunate turn of events for the club which caused him to throw in his lot with the Leicester Tigers. It was as a full back that he shone. He never managed to catch the eye of the England selectors at rugby. His rugby methods were characteristic of the man, marked by great keenness, enterprise and intelligent knowledge of the game.

In his first-class cricketing career he played in 472 matches, making 22,935 runs wit ha highest score of 296 at the commendable average of 31.54. he also took 580 catches and snared 333 wickets at an average of 32.81 with best bowling figures of 8/71. In his test career he made 291 runs at an average of 13.85 with a highest score of 34.

He played six matches in this last summer, the final one being against Hampshire on 8th-10th June. Though far from well Mr Jones captained the side and, going in at number nine, made a lively 33, second-highest score, before being caught by the wicket keeper Livsey off the bowling of medium pacer Remnant. The match was drawn.

Source: Bedfordshire Times 25th December 1914