Simon Jones (cricketer)
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| Simon Jones | ||||
 England |
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| Personal information | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Batting style | Left-hand bat | |||
| Bowling style | Right-arm fast | |||
| Career statistics | ||||
| Tests | ODIs | |||
| Matches | 18 | 8 | ||
| Runs scored | 205 | 1 | ||
| Batting average | 15.76 | 1.00 | ||
| 100s/50s | -/- | -/- | ||
| Top score | 44 | 1 | ||
| Balls bowled | 2821 | 348 | ||
| Wickets | 59 | 7 | ||
| Bowling average | 28.23 | 39.28 | ||
| 5 wickets in innings | 3 | - | ||
| 10 wickets in match | - | n/a | ||
| Best bowling | 6/53 | 2/43 | ||
| Catches/stumpings | 4/- | -/- | ||
Simon Philip Jones MBE (born 25 December 1978 in Swansea, Glamorgan) is a Welsh cricketer who plays for Worcestershire County Cricket Club and England. His father, Jeff Jones, played cricket for Glamorgan & England in the 1960s.
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[edit] Career
A tall (6' 3.5") right-arm fast bowler and left handed tail end batsman, Jones made his county cricket debut for Glamorgan County Cricket Club against Derbyshire at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff on 22 August, 1998.
Jones made his Test match debut against India in 2002 and like his father Jeff gained an England cap before his county cap,after impressing in that one Test, was then selected for the 2002/2003 Ashes tour. However, on the first morning of the First Test he suffered a severe injury, rupturing an anterior cruciate ligament while sliding to field a ball. After a lengthy recovery period, he was fit in time to tour the Caribbean in 2004. Jones made his One Day International debut on the 2004/05 tour of Zimbabwe.
His action since has been refined and he has developed a mastery of reverse swing, gradually becoming a key member of the most highly-rated England bowling attack for a generation. England captain Michael Vaughan seemed initially reluctant to use Jones, but in the Ashes series of 2005 he proved a revelation, taking 18 wickets at 21.00 and troubling all of the Australian batsmen with his control of swing. The most notable piece of bowling was when he reverse-swung a delivery to knock out Michael Clarke's off stump in the final day of the 3rd Ashes Test at Old Trafford. His stock had risen to the point of him being promoted to open the bowling when he succumbed to an ankle injury during the Fourth Test, forcing him out of the crucial deciding match at the Oval, as well as out of England's winter tour to Pakistan.
[edit] Second major injury
On 26 February, Jones sustained a twisting injury to his left ankle while bowling in the nets in preparation for the first Test of England's tour to India, which commenced on 1st March 2006. On 27th February, Jones was sent home to see a specialist, and didn't play any part in the Test series.
Having spent the rest of the winter recovering, Jones played his first match since the 4th Ashes Test on the 19th April 2006. Playing for Glamorgan, he took 1 wicket for 23 runs in a match against Cardiff UCCE, and stated he was pleased with his recovery. However on the 1st May he broke down with a new injury to his left knee in a victory against Ireland in the C&G Trophy. The injury kept him out of the Test and O.D.I series against Sri Lanka, which was due to start the next week.
In June 2006, he flew to Colorado for surgery on his knee by surgeon Dr Richard Steadman, with the England team stating that he would not be expected to bowl for five months, and was unlikely to participate in the 2006/07 tour of Australia. [1] In the 2006 New Year's Honours List, Jones was awarded the MBE for his role in the successful Ashes tournament, and in April he was named Wisden Cricketer of the Year.
In September 2006, despite continuing injury problems which prevented him from returning to professional cricket until the start of the 2007 domestic season, his Central Contract with the ECB was renewed for another 12 months. Jones returned to action for his county Glamorgan in April 2007.
[edit] Move to Worcestershire
As his contract with Glamorgan was due to expire at the end of the 2007 season, Jones was linked with a move away from Glamorgan. After speculation linking him to Hampshire,[2] on 19 October Jones moved to Division Two side Worcestershire, on a two year contract. Yet another injury (this time to the neck) confinded Jones to only three overs only in the first game of the 2008 season.[3] He returned to action for Worcestershire in a one-day game against Hampshire on 11 May 2008, recording career best figures of 5 for 32 from 10 overs and bowling well over 90mph. This led to speculation that he may yet return to the England team once more.[4]
[edit] Personal life
Simon Jones lives in Cardiff with girlfriend Justine with whom he has son Harvey (b. November 2006). They are currently expecting their second child. [5]
In February 2006 Jones was placed 9th and the highest placed sportsman in a poll of the world's sexiest men, voted for by readers of New Woman magazine.[6]
[edit] References
- ^ Ashes heartbreak for bowler Jones: BBC Sport Cricket, 8 June 2006. Retrieved 9 June 2006.
- ^ Hampshire clear to speak to Jones BBC Sport - 3 September 2007
- ^ Worcestershire seal Jones signing BBC Sport - 19 October, 2007
- ^ Jones rolls back the years to shatter Hampshire hopes The Independent - 12 May 2008
- ^ New baby for high-life shy Simon Wales News - 21 October, 2007
- ^ New Woman 100 sexiest men in the world 2006
