Simon Jones

Simon Jones Biography

Simon Philip Jones is a Welsh cricketer who has played internationally for England in tests and ODIs. He was born in Morriston, Swansea, Wales on 25 December 1978.

He is a right-arm fast bowler and bats left-handed. He is a tall and skiddy bowler at 6’3 and has an impressive in-swing.

Background

Son of a former cricketer, Simon was born in Wales and had his education at Coedcae Comprehensive in Millfield. He started playing cricket for Glamorgan in 1998, a county cricket club where his father played.

He played first-class cricket for almost four years before being selected for a test series against India. His father, Jeff Jones, played 15 tests for England and was a spirited left-arm seamer whose career was cut short by injuries, just like his son’s career.

Debut

After slogging four years at Glamorgan, Jones would finally get to play for England in a test series against India in 2002. He made his international debut in the series on 22 July 2002. He batted well as a tail-ender, gathering 44 runs in 43 balls. He picked up two wickets in the first innings and another two in the second. England won the match by a massive 170 runs.

He made his ODI debut on 4 December 2004 against Zimbabwe at Bulawayo. He picked up two wickets in his eight overs and went for 43 runs. England went on to win the match by eight wickets.

Rise to Glory

Simon Jones was touted to have a glittering career with his impressive in swing and skidding abilities. He began his career on a bright note by picking up four wickets in his first test, and was selected for the 2002-03 Ashes tour.

He faced a career-threatening injury in the series when he ruptured an anterior cruciate ligament while fielding.

He returned in 2004 in a series against West Indies and picked up three wickets in the first match. In the second test, he picked up six wickets, with five in the second innings.

He picked up a lone wicket in the third match and England won three of the matches in the series to make it 3-0 out of 4.

In 2005, Jones was selected for the Ashes which would go on to be his best career performance in a test series. He picked up three wickets in the first test and another three in the second. In the third test, Jones put in a controlled performance and record his career best figures of 7-110. The match ended in a draw despite Jones’ terrific inswing show.

In the fourth test, he wrecked the Australian batting lineup in the first innings by picking up 5 wickets for 44 runs. He injured himself in the second innings, which would make the fourth test his last international test match.

In total, Jones has played 18 tests, and has picked up an impressive 59 wickets.

Low Points

Simon Jones had a career that was plagued with injuries and as a result his career was cut short. His first injury was a ligament tear, and the second one an ankle injury while practicing for a 2006 series against India.

The injuries made sure that his international career was short-lived. In spite of his injuries, Jones made multiple comebacks and the ECB kept on renewing his contracts. However, he could not make a comeback after the 2005 Ashes.

His career was limited to only county cricket after that.