Ernie Jones (Australian sportsman)

Ernie Jones

Jones 2nd right (Back row) pictured with the 1896 Australia national cricket team
Cricket information
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm fast
International information
National side
  • Australian
Career statistics
Competition Tests First-class
Matches 19 144
Runs scored 126 2390
Batting average 5.04 13.13
100s/50s 0/0 0/7
Top score 20 82
Balls bowled 3754
Wickets 64 641
Bowling average 29.01 22.83
5 wickets in innings 3 47
10 wickets in match 1 9
Best bowling 7/88 8/39
Catches/stumpings 21/0 107/0
Source: Cricinfo

Ernest Jones (30 September 1869, Auburn, South Australia  23 November 1943, Magill, South Australia) was an Australian sportsman, playing Test cricket and Australian rules football.

Jones played 19 Tests from 1894 to 1902 and represented Port Adelaide, North Adelaide and South Adelaide Football Clubs.[1] Nicknamed Jonah, Jones was one of the best and fastest bowlers of his time, initially erratic but subsequently gaining control of line and length to good effect. Jones worked as a customs officer, and one of his claims to fame as a cricketer was that he was known as 'The man who bowled a ball through W. G. Grace's Beard' and was reputed to have broken Stanley Jackson's ribs.[2]

His action was controversial and complained about in both England (in 1896) and Australia. Umpire Jim Phillips was given the job of enforcing the laws against illegal actions which had once more crept into the game in the late 1890s. Jones was first no-balled in a match between South Australia and the visiting English side in 1897/98. Phillips again no-balled him once in the 2nd Test of that series, Jones thus becoming the first bowler to be called for throwing in a Test match.

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