Aussie cricket great Dean Jones dies aged 59

During Jones' 9-year Test career only Border and Boon played more matches and scored more runs, and only Border and Taylor averaged higher. Interesting to break down how his 52nd Test in Sep 1992 at age 31 came to be his last. Unfortunately during the 2-year period of his later Tests numbers 33-48 (Feb 1990-Jan 1992) when he should have been at his peak he averaged only 25.26, with only 3 half-centuries in 16 innings. So despite a successful last 4 Tests after that, his die was cast. During the next 6 years the selectors then debuted Langer and Martyn (1992/93), Slater (1993), Hayden (1993/94), Bevan and Blewett (1994/95, both successful instantly albeit not long-term), Law and Ponting (1995/96), Elliott (1996/97) and Lehmann (1997/98). Most of which paid off handsomely. If Shaun Marsh, Rob Quiney, George Bailey, Ashley Doolan, Mitch Marsh etc had been born 20 years earlier, they would have received far fewer Test caps than they did in the 2010s !

Well said, Riccardo. It’s also nice to know that he & Richard Hadlee became good friends afterwards. Dean Jones was one of a kind. Just so sad.

That was a wonderful innings for sure. I saw most of it on tv.

So come 1996 at age 35 Deano would have torn Ambrose Walsh and Bishop apart? Give me strength. The Waughs were the reason we beat everyone in the 2nd half of the 90s. Hansie Cronje said in 1998 that if you want to beat Australia you have to beat the Waugh twins. Not hard to spot the Victorians on here. And no you don’t know what happened as you weren’t on the selection panel which is why I highly recommend an excellent book written by someone who was. Then again let’s be fair and give you a chance: go on, tell us exactly what happened and be sure to cite credible sources …

Good old John Benaud. Wonder where he came from? Another NSW stooge. Deano would have torn the Windies to pieces in the 1990s when they lost their sting like the Waugh brothers did and come out looking like batting maestros. Those of us who were there remember what happened. He was shafted.

Read the book and you will be enlightened. I was seething as much as anyone about Jones for nigh on 6 years until I read it.

But among the likes of Allan Border, Kepler Wessels, Kim Hughes, both Waughs, David Boon, Geoff Marsh, Graeme Wood and Mark Taylor, he was alone in never passing 50 in non-dead rubbers against them. I am not including post 1995 in this.

That average includes the 216 and 81 in dead rubbers. In live rubbers, which was 7 of his 10 tests against them, with no scores over 50, his average was considerably less than 37. There is no arguing against this. Martyn made an unbeaten 67 when no other batsman passed 50 against them in the 2nd innings of 2nd test 1992-93 which was vital in winning the first non-dead rubber against them since 1981 and only the 2nd since 1976.

Yeah but for example, Steve Waugh, Mark Waugh, David Boon, Geoff Marsh, Mark Taylor and of course Allan Border all made runs to varying numbers of occasions in tests against them that weren’t dead rubbers. Dean Jones never did. Even Ian Healy made a half ton against them in the 2nd test in 1988-89.

You are right. I have now seen during these past few days news reports from various places with age ranging from 55 to 60. Someone in the newsrooms, which should be pedantic places, didn't know they could consult Cricinfo. :stoked:

Sad day, he will be missed. He was fun to watch him on tv as a young dude on a hot summers night & I also watched a lot of Deano live back in the day at Shield level after his forced retirement from the Australian team when I moved to Melbourne. Good memories.

Jones avereged 37 against them. His 'replacement' Damien Martyn averaged 28 that series & Australia lost the series 2-1 against the Windies. I would write a book trying to justify my choice too.

Sorry to be pedantic, but apparently he was 59.

He wasn't alone getting dead rubber runs against WI. Of course Benaud would justify his selections. I'm not saying he's wrong but live rubber big runs were rare against the West Indies.

The West Indies had the measure of everyone most of the time.

I was lucky enough to see his all of his 184* at Sydney, viewed from the last stand of The Hill when the Sydney Test was not an event. Happy times.

Deano was like a breath of fresh air – always positive when batting and in the field – loved to play up-tempo cricket – revolutionised the one day game with his aggressive batting and running between the wickets. He played his heart out for his country whether it was Test of one dayers. He always appeared upbeat when interviewed or commentating. And was loved and respected by Indians as well with many heart felt eulogies this morning. Very sad loss for crcket lovers around the world

He wasn’t underrated as a test batsman at all. His first 32 tests were excellent, 16 of his last 20 anything but and the West Indies always had his measure. Over the home summers of 1990-91 and 1991-92 and the 1991 tour of West Indies in between he went 14 tests without a ton and averaged only 24 in this period. All things considered he was a very good test batsman and an outstanding one batsman from 1985-91. His outspokenness towards selectors when he was quite rightly left out of the 1992-93 home series against the West Indies, who always had his measure, cost him a place on the 1993 tour of England where he could have feasted. In fairness, however, that was in the days before extensive media training for elite players.

Yeah from the Perth challenge in December 1986 until the series in the Caribbean which preceded the tests in early 1991 he was arguably the best one day bat in the world with Viv Richards past his one day best by that time. All 7 of Jones's ODI tons came in this period and going into that 1991 series he was averaging 50 in one day cricket.

Am not even an Aussie but am gutted by his death. Not sure why it's impacted me so much since I didn't follow him much in recent years but it has. Was a great player, one of the best ever.